D'Arc Hotel
by Spacker
Summary: Jaune Arc was a lot of things and now he's the owner of a bloody huge mansion he's turing into a hotel. A hotel for hunters. This can only end well for everybody involved. Funtimes and laughs abound.
1. Chapter 1

The gentle humming of the motor in the car made the trip a little easier. The funeral Jaune was on his way to still weighed on his mind. It was his grandfather, one of the very few people that thought Jaune could full well do as he pleased. Not in a hedonistic way, mind you; just about the only person that thought that was now dust in the wind. No, dear old Granddad Arc was the only person that gave Jaune the drive he needed to get to Beacon. Now he was gone.

Every week or so Jaune would call him up on the scroll to give a little report of how things were going. Failing that he'd write a letter and send it off, awaiting the reply he'd get two weeks later. The postal service on Remnant was abysmal, it was a wonder Jaune had even gotten the invitation to the funeral in time at all. Which was happening less than three days after Jaune had gotten the letter anyway.

Now the only thing left was to go and grieve with the family, attend the funeral and return to his home before anybody was the wiser. Two weeks holiday, surely needed but he was hoping that nobody got wise and realised that he was upset before he left. Ok he was a complete and utter wreck when he left and the only way nobody noticed is if they were blind. But still, he'll take these two weeks and move on eventually.

The funeral and wake were happening that the Arc manor in a somewhat remote village just south of vale. About four days by car, or two if you really floor it. Jaune did not want to be late so he took the latter option, which took him through some trees and a small clearing. All of which were left ablaze by the turbo fire dust injection engine that somehow only hummed.

Thanks to what will later be known as the "humming bird way" Jaune saved a good few hours, he'd arrive in the morning, or he could drive for another hour and sleep in a way Inn. A way Inn with showers and warm meals, wasn't a contest really. Either way he'd be there before the funeral and he'd even arrive in his best suit. Granddad Arc deserved the upmost respect you could give him, so wearing anything but the best would be insulting.

The night at the way-inn was cold. The water was hot but the sheets were awful, but it was better than sleeping in a car and at least here he could get washed and dressed before arriving at his destination in the morning.

Pulling up to the gate he saw the entire family. A near uncountable sea of Blondes and a few other colours standing outside the manor. Greetings were swift and the service was lovely, each of his sisters telling a story from their childhood about their fondest memories with Granddad Arc. No, nobody knows what his name is, he will forever be referred to as Granddad Arc.

The day flew by after that and in what bits Jaune could remember thanks to his sisters and their horrible drinking habits, they were meeting with the lawyer to watch the video will the recently deceased had left. The video was just confirmation really, everybody more or less knew what they were getting from him. Granddad Arc was a bit of an open book like that, if you had a secret to tell you would have told everybody but him to save the trouble.

Still, Jaune couldn't help but wonder what he'd get. A maintenance kit for his sword? A new scabbard for his shield? New armour? Granddad Arc knew that Jaune wanted to be a hero rather than continue to be a screw up his whole life, the man gave Jaune the confidence he needed to take the first step. What would be his last gift, the last little thing to remember him by? There were a few more ideas but not one were anything more than a trinket with a minor family tradition.

The night was made a trial by his sisters and he wasn't even sure that he made it back to his hotel room. If he found himself in somebody else's bed the amount of explaining he'd need to do just wouldn't be worth it. Though the sword placed at the side of his bed indicated that he had indeed made it back to him room.

Getting washed and dressed was made a near impossible challenge by the ringing in his ears and the unwillingness of the world to stay still for a moment or two while he did what he needed to. He'd fought Grimm the size of a sky-scraper, killed monsters that could be called Gods and at one point probably were. Yet here was Jaune's nemesis. The button on his jeans; God only knew that his belts were going to be like to strap.

Jaune didn't so much as walk to the room as he stumbled in and fell on a chair. It was hard to focus but there was one thing that caught his attention. "To Jaune I leave my estate" the voice in the video stated matter-of-factly. "He may do whatever he wants with it, it's his now" the room fell still and silent as the voice of Granddad Arc continued.

The rest of the family were given nice things too but and from the looks they were giving Jaune, they were expecting the world shattering news that came with the pervious announcements. His parents and sister congratulated him on getting a shiny new house and the fortune that came with it. Now if only he'd have reacted properly when the voice of this dear grandfather had declared Jaune as the inheritor of the huge mansion, rather than shut down with his mouth gaping wide open

When the world stopped spinning Jaune came to his senses and sat thinking about what he could do with the place. Too big for himself, his family are really entrenched in their home and if they wouldn't move for a wave of Grimm they wouldn't move for this. He knew that was a futile effort from the beginning, asking them if they would didn't yield any real result aside from a firm no.

The voice in Jaune's head began to tease and taunt him _you can't do anything, may as well give up and sell it off, not like there is much else a hunter can do…_ Jaune struck his face with the palm of his hand, attempting to smack the voice out of his head. Then it hit him. His palm and the idea, though he reacted to the palm first in a small yelp of pain and stupidity.

Hunters travel all over the world. Few of them ever settle down long enough to relax and fewer still have much to call their own. What if there was a place that gave them that? What if he created a place for hunters to come and relax and not have to worry about killing Grimm or saving a village?

Jaune had a realisation on the spot. There were seven people he could offer a room to, they'd make an excellent study. The rest of his time off would be extremely busy, but there was no real time to waste at all. Jaune had to get the rooms clean, find some staff and send out the invitations. Then he had to think of a name. What would you call this place now? Hunter Holidays? Um, no that's a little on the nose. Oh well, there is plenty of time to keep trying.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby Rose, a modern living legend. Staying till close at yet another seedy down town bar, drunk again. Saving the world was always something that seemed so glamorous and romantic to her. When she actually pulled it off with her team and her friends she found a little snag in her overall life-plan. She hadn't invested any of her money, or saved any, or remembered to charge money in the first place.

Ruby Rose was entirely broke and had a great many problems, though the one at the forefront of her mind was one that she thought she wouldn't have to worry about. A place to sleep. No money meant that Ruby has nowhere to really call her own and until recently had been saying at her old home on Patch. While her dad was happy with having one of his daughters home, Ruby herself was still a young woman and wanted a place of her own to do things that young women do. Look at weapon manuals on the CCT networks.

The red-clad huntress left the bar and proceeded to run down a list of places she could sleep, while stumbling and missing every other step. Her thoughts were a complete mess but her feet were dragging her in the direction of somewhere that she could call familiar. One of the few places she could sleep in Vale without being worried what the liquid on her clothes was the next morning. The apartment of Jaune Arc.

Of a great many students at Beacon, Jaune was one of the few that actually bothered to make a plan B in terms of housing and secured himself a cheap apartment in one of the nicer neighbourhoods of Vale. In fact Jaune and Ren must have been on the same wave-length because they both put a bit aside and invested too. Ren was now the proud owner of a bakery with Nora being both his tenant and a pastry chef. Life was good for those two.

The only member of her own team that didn't have to worry about financial difficulties was Weiss, now living in Atlas in her old family home.

Yang was traveling the world doing huntress things like fighting Grimm and ruining dance clubs for everybody else.

Nobody really knew what Blake was doing, but whatever it was she was likely running away from it.

Small thoughts trailed across Ruby's mind as she approached the door to Jaune's little apartment, wondering how she got here was one of these thoughts and another was _are his spare keys still under the welcome mat? Or did he move them to the flowerpot?_ This wasn't the first time Ruby Rose had invaded Jaune's apartment while intoxicated. Just the first time he wasn't here when it happened.

After locating the keys, Ruby realised she'd been holding them the entire time, she slapped the door open and fell in. Apartments were not usually was warm as Jaune's were, especially at night, but somehow Jaune's apartment was always so cosy and comfortable. He's made a home of it, that much was evident to any visitor and anybody would be lying to say otherwise.

Pictures of their time at Beacon, on the trail and even one or two of Jaune being forced to wear a dress were all lovingly framed on the wall. The wooden mantelpiece holding a well-maintained sword that once belonged to Jaune's partner, her shield hung carefully over it.

If Ruby was in any condition to stand and admire all the pieces and memories that were preserved here she would probably want to cry. Right at that very moment though, she was wondering if she could crawl into Jaune's bed; if the distance would make it worth it instead of just falling asleep in the hallway. Wondering the bed would still smell like the boysenberry shampoo he uses or if it'll smell like whatever Ruby are last night.

Her body made the choice for her though, as her arms pulled her towards the door on the far end of the room. Each little pull making her feel slightly more confident she would sleep in a warm, pleasant bed. Still dragging herself towards the door she met an obstacle. The door was shut, not tightly but it was till shut. Her arms wouldn't able to reach the handle that would lead to her safe haven for the night.

"Only one thing to do then" Ruby muttered to herself. Reaching to her back to take her weapon, her beloved Crescent Rose, from its leather holster. Her plan was fool proof, use the scythe mode to nudge the door open and then continue to crawl till her head hits the pillow. Nothing and nobody could tell her this plan wouldn't work. Till she realised that Crescent Rose wasn't at her back.

When a warrior loses their weapon it's because it means they're ready to move on with their life, past the violence or they've been caught by surprise. When Ruby loses her weapon, bad things happen. She once absent-mindedly left it in rifle mode, unattended in a dust shop. Some kids found it and well, From Dust Till Dawn became very rich in record time, it also broke the world record on collateral damage.

She frantically searched for it, scanning the room, her trail. Could she have left it at the bar? Oh no, no she would wouldn't ever be that careless. She spotted her weapon poking out off the edge of the table. Weird, she always keeps Crescent Rose in its holster and only takes it out to fight… Or show off. Why was it on Jaune's table? Not that it mattered all that much now, her weapon was found and she was ready to get to that soft, cool, comfy bed.

Crawling towards the table at breakneck speed Ruby slammed her head into one of the legs, causing the weapon above her head to shake. Each shake brought it closer to the edge of the table. Ruby knew what she had to do, it was the only sensible thing to do in that situation. Head-butt the table till Crescent Rose fall and she can grab it.

Each movement made a thud and a crash, Ruby made an "oh" and "ouch" every time. Thud, thud, thud, "ouch, ouch, ouch" Ruby cried "How." Thud. "Much." Thud. "Longer." Thud. "Will." Thud. "This." Thud. Take?!" Instead of a thud Ruby and the unfortunate tenants below her were startled by a loud crash. Crescent Rose had fallen to the floor, finally within Ruby's grasp. Now the only thing left was the door.

While Ruby was giving herself permanent brain damage she hatched a new plan. She remembered that her weapon was also a gun. A high-impact sniper rifle to be precise. She didn't need to open the door with the scythe, she needed the door open but it didn't really matter how she did it. All she really needed to do was support herself enough and the rest would be like magic. A magic knows a gun.

Ruby grabbed her beloved and rolled out from under the table facing the bedroom door. _Steady_ she thought to herself "only the handle, it only has to be the handle _"_ assuring herself that she hadn't lost her ability to aim. Ruby slowed her breathing, lined up the sight on her weapon and with a squeeze of the trigger she blasted the door in its centre, the door was torn off its hinges in a storm of splinters a sawdust.

"BULLSEYE!" Ruby joyfully exclaimed, the excitement making her forget about her previous inability to walk as she leapt towards the roof of Jaune's apartment. Rose petals blending in with the sawdust making the moment seem like an abstract piece of art that Weiss and Blake would be into.

A gust of wind blew the furniture and clutter on the ground away as Ruby charged into the bed, her clothes among the debris that were flung against the walls of the apartment. Wrapped in the duvet of Jaune's bed wither her head resting on the softly on the pillow. "Boysenberry" Ruby muttered as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Ruby's dream was quite the experience. It started out in her first day at Beacon, meeting Jaune for the first time. Instead of his classic weapon, he instead had a hydra Grimm inside the shield scabbard that he had to feed a certain amount of grapes a day and wasn't allowed to feed after midnight.

It was surreal, but then the dream changed to walking through strawberry fields with her team, picking out the best ones that were going to be made into juice later. Everything was fine till the Strawberry Guardian came out of the floor, prompting the team to try and fight it. Weapons were useless against it and the world looked doomed. Till Ruby got hungry and started to chow down, its screams were drowned out by the cheering that passers-by gave her. Soon after that she was named the Strawberry Queen by the survivors and given a life-time pass to take any strawberries from the field.

Before the dream came to an end, Ruby was treated to the smell of boysenberry, followed by the smell of cookies being baked. More and more aromas crept up on Ruby as she dreamt of the food, of the sweetness that she could no longer frivolously enjoy like she did a long while ago. A bright flash of light ended all that in a moment though.

Ruby's silver eyes were blinded by the light that was determined to sneak its way in through the small cracks in the wooden blinds. It was a gentle wake-up call and one that Ruby desperately needed given her current state of foggy-headed, drool covered, not-quite nakedness. It was difficult to remember that had happened last night. She remembered falling over but nearly everything else was a haze.

Until she looked a little towards her left. At the bested door and the lane of petals that led to the bed. Which was now covered in drool and sawdust. Much like Ruby. First thing on the agenda was to clean herself up, preferably with a nice shower. A nice, warm shower and some of that nice soap Jaune has would be a great way to start the day. _Thank whatever Gods exist on Remnant I'm alone_ Ruby thought to herself, _I'd never live this down otherwise._

The world outside marched on as Ruby finished in the shower and got dressed before assessing the damage she had done last night. A hole in the door, damage to the wall, sawdust and petals everywhere and a dent on the leg of the table. Ruby let out a defeated sigh as she realised exactly how badly she messed up, wondering of Jaune will ever let her stay over again for all the mess and expenses she no doubt caused him. It was a little sad to think of.

Spying a letter in a blue envelope in the hallway stuck in on the wall, by some knives from the kitchen that had been left out helped take Ruby's mind off what she had done. Mostly because in bold capital letters her name was written on the side. It was Jaune's hand writing, absolutely no doubt about that; one thing you could always appreciate about Jaune is that he put effort into nearly everything he did. No matter how strange or small it was it received nothing but his best effort and attention.

Moments passed as Ruby stared at the letter, anxious as to what its contents were and wondering if she really deserved even a simple thanks given what last night's escapade. Though she couldn't leave in unopened, or here. Jaune was due back in Vale by the end of the week, which gave Ruby three days to get her mess cleaned up. Setting the letter aside Ruby rubbed her hands together and prepared to hoist the door back up to its frame.

Only she abandoned that half a second later when she ripped the envelope open to read its contents:

 _To Ruby. How have you been? The holiday has been great for me, even met some of my family and just had a chat. I figured that you've done a lot for me and just about everybody else on the planet so I've left some directions to where I'm currently staying. It's on me if you want to swing on by, you earned it._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Jaune Arc._

 _P.S. Thanks for house-sitting. I know you're probably busy but it means a lot you'll help me out even now. My apartment's probably the safest it's ever been with you around._

A smile perched its self on Ruby's lips, then immediately melted to a frown when she remembered the state of the room, Pyrrha's old sword now lodged into Jaune's bookshelf. "He'll never trust me with anything again" Ruby said to herself in a hushed but wounded voice. Scanning the envelope for the map to Jaune's whereabouts Ruby readied herself, packed her bags and gave the area the once around with a vacuum cleaner before setting out.

If Jaune was going to find out anyway then she may as well tell him herself. Ruby thought of ways to break the news on the way over. The map pointed to a lace that was a fair way away really, but would only take half a day if she used the sky bus which Jaune seemed to assume she would he'd given her enough money for a ticket; it's also the most convenient way to travel for anybody that doesn't get motion sick.

With a breath Ruby took her first steps outside. Smiling happily, not having to worry about the rest of the day, because by the end of it she'd be hanging out with the first friend she made at Beacon, a long while ago. Now if only her team showed up, everything would be right with the world.

 **Note: Somebody asked if I got the idea from Hotel Transylvania. I did not, this was an idea I have been sitting on for a while. I hope people enjoy it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Weiss Schnee was spinning in her office chair trying her hardest to relax, unfortunately to no real standard of success. Profits were up, the dust was plentiful and the positive PR was flowing. For all intents and purposes she should be in a good mood, ecstatic even. So why was she feeling so down?

It could be the amount of work she was doing left her stressed and in need of a very well deserved holiday. It could be her job is not what she wanted to be doing with her life, instead of staying in an office Weiss wanted to be outside, fighting Grimm and saving people. The novelty of an internationally successful huntress had long since worn off and Weiss was left to deal with what that meant fully every day since.

Weiss missed her old team, the freedom she had with them. She missed the god awful puns her blonde friend made, she missed the irritatingly cryptic nature of her mysterious team mate, and she even missed the overzealous optimism of her leader. Weiss Schnee was, for lack of a better word, homesick.

Still, Weiss span in her chair quickening the pace considerable till either she or the chair couldn't take it anymore. A drawn out game with an inanimate object was going to be the highlight of her day, the most relaxing thing she can do while she waits for her next meeting. As usual nothing was happening in Atlas, nothing was happening at the SDC and absolutely nothing was happening in Weiss' office.

Every now and then Weiss would cast her mind back to the adventures she shared with her team and, despite her protests, how much she loved each and every minute of it. The good times, the bad even the outright bizarre ones were now all fond and precious memories. While she was still somewhat cold Weiss was far more welcoming than she had been some years ago, far kinder and sweeter than many would have believed. Though this and her new obsession with swinging on her chair to amuse herself was probably in influence of her leader.

The buzzing on the desk indicated that it was time to get to work. The meeting with the military over the dust supply and technology from the research and development departments. It wouldn't take long, a yearly renewal of the contract and a negotiation for some more favourable terms for both parties. It was hum-drum and a huge waste of time since they always come to the same conclusion every single year.

On the way over to the meeting room Weiss overheard some of the staff talking about her.

"I'm worried about Ms. Schnee, do you see the bags under her eyes? She hasn't been sleeping" one of the desk workers said, the concern in their voice very real.

"So? Icy bitch make more money that half the continent and barely has to lift a finger" snapped another co-worker, a sharp blue tie over a grey suit.

"Oh stop whining, she used to be a huntress; done more for the people of the world than you ever will"

"And? She let half the workforce go because she wanted to change the labour policy! Faunus-loving bitch can drop dead for all I care" The verbal sparring continued for a while but Weiss was eventually out of earshot and couldn't hear it.

Was she really doing that badly? She figures were looking good and she clearly had plenty of supporters. But if people like the man in the grey suit were correct then Weiss was making the jobs at the company a lot harder than they really needed to be. She ruined countless lives and some good careers because of her decisions. While they were for good intentions does that really give her the right?

Pushing aside those thoughts was a trial but one she had grown accustomed to over time. It wasn't the best thing to admit to anyone, let alone herself but Weiss needed to get through the day and find something else to do. Anything else that would take her mind off work, that would take her mind away from her office and all the monotony that came along with it.

The meeting was well underway but Weiss couldn't focus. She was just too far gone in her own mind to really pat attention to what was being said. Scanning the contract she didn't pick up on anything unusual and as always asked for a spare-copy. All of which were almost as robotic as the androids that littered the streets of Atlas.

"You need a break" a voice said from outside the room, a very familiar voice at that. "Look at you, you can barely stay awake at a very important meeting" it continued as Weiss' sister Winter strolled casually though the door. "You can leave, I should be able to conclude the deal with Ms. Schnee I'm sure you have other things to be doing", Winter shot a look that implied it was an order, not a request. A respectful bow and a half-hearted salute was all it too for the negotiator to leave the room.

"I'm not tha-" Weiss got cut off by her sister shoving an incredibly unfinished pamphlet in her face. The design was a mess and it didn't even have a real name yet, no staff information just a shaky premise or a Hunter's Retreat. These sorts of things were a scam made to lure people in by the dozens, it was actually a crime in Vacuo to try something like that. Though that didn't stop people from trying, given the exotic nature of Vacuo and how it's always sunny there these schemes were probably even more likely to happen.

"This place hasn't officially opened but I took the liberty of booking a place. Well, booking you a place. It's an assumed name, don't worry. If the place is terrible we don't want the Schnee name associated with it." Winter continued a little more, only to shoot down Weiss' objections one by one before she could even really object. It's the gift of an older sibling to do this apparently. She'd seen Yang, her blonde team mate do with their leader. It was strange to see it being done to somebody else the first few times. "Oh and don't worry the deal hasn't been altered in any way, so you can go off without having this lingering on your mind." Winter added in what must have been an attempt to drag Weiss' attention away from the situation.

It would have worked if she didn't draw attention to it. "Let me see" Weiss sighed, holding the bright scroll in front of her face. In capitals were, in layman's terms, a part of the contract that would allow Atlas to personally transport all dust shipments across all kingdoms. Sounds good, only it would also give the Atlas military a cut of the profit for providing security, which was pointless because the SDC had its own private security force. Which was of no real extra cost to the international empire.

Winter gave her sister a knowing look and a wry smile "I'll handle the rest Weiss, you go and pack your things, the trip looks like a long one" Winter said while patting her sisters head softly, if only she knew how proud she was at this moment. It was normal for a Schnee to excel, but it was exceptional for Weiss to surpass herself and their father at such a young age.

Weiss stood up and began walking to the lift, the metal box that would take her to the ground floor of her building. Winter joined her sister for the walk, it was only natural that an older sister escort her younger sister safely to their shared home at the Schnee estate. The renovations were coming along nicely but that was little by way consolidation when the noises and draft kept Weiss up most of the night.

Winter and Weiss shared in the usual banter, their discussion ranging from jokes about previous boyfriends to stupid things the two have done lately. Winter only managed a few questions about her sister's well-being and only one was answered. Though the answer was a half-hearted "not well" that didn't tell anybody anything. Maybe that was Weiss' intention, having somebody fuss over you when you're a child was great; when you're an adult it was just condescending and that was not something Weiss needed in her life.

The Schnee estate was a fairly typical mansion. Big, spacious… Empty. It wasn't quite a home yet, the corridors were missing some decoration and a hole in the left-most side of the house created a huge draft just below Weiss' bedroom. Her bed itself wasn't comfortable, like lying on a brick that was left in a freezer for too long. She wasn't even really sure how her sheets could be so cold given that she heated them up before going to bed, but without fail they were always like frost to her back.

As the limousine pulled up to the mansion Winter slipped Weiss the pamphlet again "pack your bags, I'm not taking no for any kind of answer" Winter stated with her usual tone, the order she gave her sister being absolute. "I'll wait here for you" Weiss turned at the words and left for her room. Weiss hadn't been on a holiday in a long time and she wasn't sure of what she would need, the pamphlet told her nothing of the facilities. How long did Winter intend to send her on this trip of hers? It couldn't be longer than a few days, five at the absolute most. Weiss now at least had a question for her sister for the ride to the airport.

Weiss' current position came with a few different perks. Her own house, lots of cool cars and planes. But above all of that stood her second most prised position, the first being her room filled with Dust and trinkets made of dust; she second was her wardrobe. Her ridiculously oversized wardrobe. Filled to the brim and overflowing with outfits, some of which she hadn't even worn. It was more like a museum exhibit than a place to store clothes.

Some elegant dresses and beautiful clothes were lined up, it would be a shame to wear some of them and Weiss lacked the figure to pull it off properly anyway. Of all the gifts she had there was one thing that always stayed out of reach. Weiss lacked the bust needed for a lot of her clothes. It gnawed at her that her sister would have no problem wearing these clothes due to her stature, her form was absolutely perfect in every sense of the word. Be it striking a monster or showing off her curves in a dress, Winter had a lot to show off. Weiss and all of Remnant was jealous of this fact.

Getting back to the business at hand, Weiss had indeed chosen her outfits for her stay. That is to say she had chosen an outfit for every occasion: dresses, swimwear, "casual" clothes; those annoying flip-flops she hates but look too cute to not use. Yep, Weiss was ready to go, all that was left to do was get to the airport with Winter. It wouldn't a very long drive and the conversation would begin and likely end with "how long did you book for me?" Still it was a question that needed to be answered so Weiss would keep asking till she got the answer she needed, thirty minutes to the airport, two days to Vale and an hour to this resort Weiss was sending her to.

What exactly could go wrong?

Well for starters there was the fact that while Weiss was getting her clothes ready Winter tipped and changed the driver to "take a shortcut" through the downtown area, insisting that it would be faster than going around. The congested traffic proved otherwise very swiftly with people screaming obscenities at each other and a few fights braking out here and there. Yep, typical Atlas high-way was always a nightmare. Always. No exception.

A few feeble attempts to ask Winter how long her trip was were always batted away or danced around in an amazing display of verbal acrobatics. Nothing short of spectacular honestly, she dodged every question that would lead to Weiss getting the response she needed. Which meant that Weiss wouldn't like the response she'd get, at all. Winter was planning something, it probably had to do with the Atlas security deal she hadn't signed but Winter wasn't manipulative like that. This thought had begun to entrench itself into Weiss' mind and wouldn't leave her alone. Something about it was off.

Hours passed before Weiss and Winter arrived at the airport and it would be an hour still before Weiss could take her jet to Vale. This is my last chance to ask Winter what's really going on Weiss thought to herself, noting that she would certainly have to ask before she got on the jet. "Sorry about that, I was sure it would be faster" Winter apologised, reluctantly it seemed. Perhaps she really did have her sibling's best interests at heart, asking what was really going on would just ruin the otherwise happy tone of this event. Winter had booked Weiss a place in a resort so exclusive it doesn't even have a name yet! The resort hadn't even been made public, or even fully opened and Winter still booked Weiss a place.

Focus on the positive Weiss, a relaxing time at a resort should be perfect Weiss told herself, the two beeps coming from her scroll telling her it was in fact time to board her jet to Vale. "Thanks Winter" Weiss leaned into the hug and squeeze tightly with Winter for a moment before turning around to carry the luggage she was allowed on the deck. A wave of her delicate hand was the last thing Winter saw of her sister and it would be for a while. But without Weiss in Atlas Winter was free to set the plan in motion. Weiss was going to have a surprise waiting for her when she returned home after she was completely relaxed.

The trip overseas was quiet. Weiss prepared an in-flight movie from her backlog, if she was going on holiday she may as well start trying to watch all those movies she never got to see. The programmes on television she'd missed over the years. Two days travel time mounted to a lot. This time could be better used getting her in the mood to relax if she really wasn't going to do any work. Turning up the volume and pouring herself a glass of white wine Weiss sat to enjoy the beginning of her movie.

A warning flashed on the screen but it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, Weiss didn't have time to read it and honestly she didn't want to. Something she would regret immediately after as the sheer wound blasted her glass, shattering it immediately, covering her is wine. Weiss tried to cover hear ears and make a grab for the remote at the same time, only to fail in a spectacular fashion and topple over missing the remote by an inch.

The pilot in the other room couldn't hear what his passenger was doing. If she needed him at any time then she'd simply get him. It's not like she wasn't allowed to go where she pleased on her jet. Oblivious to anything but his room and the sky. Weiss on the other side of the door was having a hell of a time. The volume only seemed to increase till the screen itself was shaking. The vibrations causing the bottles in the mini-bar she had to shake rapidly. She just hoped that another explosion scene wasn't coming again. That would be the worst.

Sadly her hopes were dashed when the sound of rapid fire began to blare from the speakers above her head. _Who designed this?!_ Weiss was in a full blown panic mode till she managed to wrestle with the remote, finally grasping it in hand she tried to turn down the volume. A look on the back of the remote showed her why, one of the batteries had been knocked out when she dropped it earlier. Frantically looking around Weiss spotted the missing power supply and made a lunge towards it.

Sliding the battery into the remote Weiss had earned her victory over the destructive speaker system and was free to enjoy her film in peace. Though she could stand a change of clothes, nobody wanted to stink like wine on their very first day off. Or so office gossip led her to believe. A look in the mirror showed her how dishevelled the ordeal had made her. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were creased so badly it looked like they were just taken out of the wash.

Weiss' holiday was off to a very fine start.

 **Note: This chapter doesn't feel as funny to me so I may re-visit it at a later date.**

 **Couple extra paragraphs. Hope you enjoy.**


	4. Chapter 4

Blake Belladonna was running. Not the usual morning exercise run that she'd grown somewhat proud of, that was for fun and to keep herself in tip-top shape. Nope, Blake was running for her life and it was flashing before her eyes. Each step was a step away from her pursuer that she was glad to have. Her morning exercise was definitely paying off and not in the 'I'm hot' kind of way she was hoping. But instead a, 'thank my lucky stars I do the things I do' way. Luck was a funny concept to Blake anyway, being born a black cat seemed to be a cruel joke played by destiny.

Trees passed her by as her pace increased and she cursed her choice in footwear _Heels for running! Who in their right mind wears heels for running!_ She thought to herself as she continued to push forward beyond the Grimm infested woods. Truth be told she questioned entire outfit and mostly why she decided that it would be a brilliant idea to go on a picnic without her weapon. On her own. Because she ran away from her date. Yep, Blake was really glad she chose to keep up with her morning routine.

Besides, it's not like she really needed to do much of anything anymore. The world was saved, her people no longer had to face horrible spiciest laws. The world was a place that anybody could be themselves now without fear of being persecuted by the law. Which meant that Blake could finally appreciate the finer things in life like tuna sandwiches, tuna bakes and a world where she can go outside without fear of somebody spraying her with a water bottle while hissing.

The key word being could, as she definitely had the option now, in reality Blake still wore her bow and still tired not to bring attention the fact that she is a faunus; you could change the law all you like and people will still be jackasses as she had learned. Still it was a step in the right direction of civil rights. Now if only Blake could stop her compulsion to run away at the first real sign of trouble. Taking into account what everybody way saying to her, it was likely due to stress.

Why Blake was stressed was definitely a different issue though. She'd long ago come to terms with her past as a dangerous criminal, put it all behind her and began to rely on her friends more and more. It was a value Blake placed above everything else but recent events lead to her really needing to get away from it all. There was a question her date asked which became the straw that broke the camel's back. The daily grind had gotten to her and Blake needed a real escape. Somewhere to relax, to break from the difficulty of life, even if only for a short while.

 _Where is the nearest spa around here? Can't be very far and I'm a good way from Vale on foot_ she thought as the jumped off a small ledge. Blake likely would have continued thinking if she hadn't been hit by oncoming traffic she was too distracted to notice. "I hope I didn't hit another cat" an extremely familiar voice called. Blake really hated being born a black cat. "Oh my God is that Blake!?" No doubt Blake really, really hated being a black cat.

An hour or so passed before Blake woke up, finding her partner and best friend, Yang Xiao Long, standing above her. "Oh thank God you're ok" Yang cried, a tone and a half away from her usual care-free tone and attitude. "I thought I was gonna have to add another sticker to my bike" a quick glance showed what seemed to be a tally chart of animals and Grimm that Yang must have run over in the past. Counting all the Grimm would take a long time, all the animals a far longer time. Only two cyclists and a car from the looks of things though so it definitely wasn't all bad.

"What are you doing in the middle of nowhere Blake? The same thing I am?" Yang asked

"Are you running away from something?"

"So not hunting Grimm then, all the more for me!" Yang snapped at Blake's answer in her usual cheery tone, which meant that puns were sure to follow soon. Now that was something Blake would like to run away from but her head was still spinning from her badly failed jump routine. If it were any consolation, the two would make an appealing slapstick act. "Well if you're not killing Grimm then you want a ride to the next town?"

"That would be appreciated" Blake replied with a groan, using the ruck just under her head as a pillow. Yang, meanwhile was getting her bike to stand up before flicking the ignition and just checking for any damage done to the beautiful machine. A few scratches here and there, with Blake's bow caught in the front time. Blake's favourite bow caught in the front tire. _Maybe Blake's a little too out of it to notice_ Yang dared to think, her small flame of hope snuffed out after by Blake screaming at the top of her lungs "WHERE IS MY BOW!?"

It was all going well, easy money killing Grimm, fun times staring bar fights and the best part was that she didn't even have to pay for collateral damage. Yang Xiao Long was living the high life of a drifter on the open road killing Grimm and saving the day. Nothing was more perfect that her life was at this moment. Especially because the Kingdom of Vale graciously gave her a fortune to track down and kill the Grimm that destroyed the walls of an important mining village. Yep, it was a good, good, good day. Hell, the new "Humming Bird Way" that opened up recently made traveling between Vale and its surrounding villages a lot easier; the fact it was a joy to ride down made it that much sweeter. Then she ran into and a friend.

That friend was now pouting on the back of her bike, facing the wrong way and trying to hide her seething anger. Yang would try to lighten the mood with a joke but that wouldn't work, nothing got through to Blake when she was like this. Not even a shot-gun gauntlet blast to the face. Yang would know, she tried it years ago. Aura is a thing, though why it didn't stop Blake from falling unconscious was probably something she shouldn't think about. Besides Yang was holding back when they fought at a particularly heated reunion, the floor could not hold back.

Blake on the other hand was slouched in her pouty face, facing backwards so the wind didn't hurt her exposed ears. Otherwise she wouldn't be so desperately afraid of falling off the bike and losing another hour or so of her life. Other than that the free breeze was very soothing to Blake, it had been a very long while since she took the bow off and allowed herself to feel the liberation of being free. Being near her partner was a prize that returned some nostalgia to her. Good times were gone, their best years behind them. _I wonder if we'll ever be able to really relax like we did back then_ letting out a sigh of both frustration and relief. The relief was mostly due to having Yang around. It was good to have a familiar face, especially when you haven't seen one in a long time.

Yang piped up with "You know there's rumours of this place, opening a resort for hunters to chill out and relax in. Could be nothing but it'd be worth checking out, don't you think?" Yang couldn't help but ask her friend, probably on the same wave-length somehow. Yang just had the ability to tell when something was wrong, always the mood maker in any given situation. "If you're not planning to continue your little run, maybe we should see if there's any truth to it" poking fun at her friend Yang clearly had that little smirk on her face that she always had when causing trouble. Blake didn't have to look at her to know that.

"If it is true, who's paying?" Blake asked.

"Whoever's in charge!?" Yang replied, revving up the engine on her bike. She could pay for both of them if she really needed to, but where was the fun in that? Wouldn't it be better to wing it and see if you could get a freebie? Yang certainly thought so.

If it all went well, maybe they'd even invite Ruby and Weiss, have a team get-together and swap stories of killing Grimm and whatever other crazy adventures everybody was having! They were heroes, adventurers and top-class beauties; they all must have had something going on the fact that Blake was running in the forest proved it.

"So what've you been doing since we all went our separate ways?" Blake asked, not entirely sure if it was the best subject to be approaching, A question like this gave Yang the right to ask the same though that didn't really mean Blake had to give an answer. Mysteries lose all appeal one they get explained.

"Fighting Grimm, beating up bad guys. Helped found a settlement in Vacuo with those Indigo girls and that Scarlet guy from Sun's team" Yang replied, sounding quite proud of herself. "What about you?"

"Doing contract work for villages here and there, mostly trying to find a place where my bow won't be questioned. And, well, taking enthusiastic runs in the forest" Blake replied, leaving out the biggest reason she was out for a leisurely rub in this heat.

"Getting hit by bikes part of your exercise plan now?"

"No, but then neither was hitting my head." Blake replied in her usual tone, pouting seemed to be over now.

"Ok, real talk time. You said you were running away. From what? You never said" Yang asked, the curiosity clear in her voice.

"My creepy landlord with a faunus fetish. Or maybe I'm running from fluffy, you remember fluffy?"

"Please not fluffy" the cold fear shot up Yang's spine for a moment "Ok so you don't really wanna tell me, I'll just have to get you drunk enough." The devilish tone Yang took told Blake that it was going to happen, even if Yang had to drag Blake to the bar it would happen. Since Yang got her new arm it wouldn't be difficult to drag anyone wherever she wanted.

The shining chrome that was Yang's right arm created a reflection of the trees that passed. Her metal limb was normally covered up by a longer sleeve, giving her a full asymmetrical appearance. People are uneasy around anybody with prosthetics, though that may be because of the usual human condition. People just tend to fear what they don't understand. In the chrome there were yellow trims, just something to say that the arm was indeed a part of Yang and not just some prosthetic-robotic attachment that would be traded in when the next model came out.

As the town drew closer and closer Yang could only think of how much more fun she'd be having if her friends from Beacon were sharing their adventures even after they'd saved the world. Just having Blake close was a feeling she'd missed for a long time, if this resort place was the real deal then it would mean that she could relax for a bit with a friend. Maybe a cold drink and some hot guys by the pool, if there was indeed a pool; especially since they were in the best parts of the summer. _Oh yeah, this'll be good._

Dusk quickly settled overhead as Yang and Blake were pulling into the town, it was just like any other you'd see on the travels. A bulletin board with jobs a hunter could do, some sanctioned by the government and others were private contracts. Private contracts take a few different meanings but more often than not cover jobs that don't fall under what the government can sanction. Which means they typically pay a little more than your standard kill X amount of Grimm that normally get offered. Useful information for any hunters worth their salt, it's worth asking around the town for anyway.

Speaking of, it seems quiet. Too quiet, like somebody died. "Well that Resort is probably a bust. Can you see anything Blake?" Yang looked over her shoulder to see nothing. _Did she run away again!? I swear that girl needs some bells or something,_ Yang thought before looking ahead. Blake was standing in front of the bulletin board, her mouth slightly open as she read the large sheet of paper that stunned her to silence. Yang casually waked over to her friend "what's wrong? Seeing a big reward? OH! Is it an easy gig?" Yang pestered her partner for the details till she followed the line Blake's finger presented.

The paper Blake was pointing to read as followed:

 _The Lord Arc is dead, this is a sad time for the community._

 _When an Arc passes their legacy is left to the most suitable heir._

 _Unfortunately the deceased Lord Arc hadn't named a successor._

 _Let us take this time of mourning as a reminder that age kills even heroes._

 _-Mayor Matalan._

"That can't be our Arc can it? I mean the Arcs are a big family… Right?" Yang asked, shaking a little. Blake just moved the last part of the paper that was obscured by the cluttered board. It added:

 _P.S._

 _His eyes were a beautiful and deep blue._

 _His hair was yellow as the bountiful wheat harvest of fall._

 _His simple shield was a bulwark against the tides darkness._

 _His mighty sword cleaved through the night to create a new dawn._

 _His cheerful smile kept the fire of hope alight._

 _He'll be missed but cherished, as he goes to his comrades in the stars._

 _As all the greatest heroes are._

"Somebody actually wrote that?" Yang glanced at who had signed it. Reading allowed both Yang and Blake said "by the seven Arc sisters." Looking directly at one another the only thing on their minds was language far too colourful to use in any polite way.

 _Oh shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit._ Yang wanted to scream. This is decidedly not the way you want to find out about a friend passing away. Or that he was apparently a minor Lord this whole time and nobody knew. Well Ren probably knew, he could read minds and always showed up with everybody's preferred drink whenever they went out. He also always left before Yang got drunk enough to wreck the place.

"We don't get visitors this late. Yew here about the Arc?" A low, husky voice called out to the two clearly panicking girls. "If you wanna visit the grayve you should go up to the manner up-top that hill." The voice said, accent making it very difficult to grasp the finer directions. "Yew a couple huntress'?" The man asked, "Got a contract for a King Taijitu if yew want it" he took a few steps into the vague light given by the board. Looking Yang up and down before looking her straight in the eyes and asking "are yew a natural blonde?" Yang's answer was to punch him on the nose, he went down and backwards.

 _Am I a natural Blonde?! The nerve of that guy!_ Yang thought before sprinting to her bike, Blake on her heels in a flash and breath. Each of them thinking the same thing. Answers and confirmation were just atop that hill, in that big, big house. Neither of them could say they really liked the idea of popping in on a family in mourning but sometimes you just had to know. This was one of those times.

The ride up was maybe five, ten minutes at the absolute most. The speed Yang was going it's a wonder she even had time to react to the awkward turns on the assumed private road. Blake was just holding on for dear life for the second time today. There was so much she wanted to do: settle down, have a litter of her own. Maybe teach them to be really, really good at running. Give them the head start she never had and for the love of all that was good and right in the world buy them shoes that are made for running.

The fancy fountain in the small courtyard was low enough to make a ramp for a sweet entrance. Yang just couldn't resist. It was too perfect and despite Blake's brief protest Yang was already too into it. Revving up her bike once more Yang popped a wheelie and perched the front of her bike on the low fountain edge. Riding around in circles along the thick concrete that kept the shallow water inside. With all her Strength Yang hoisted her bike at the right moment and made a swing for the huge doors of the house.

 **Note: Edits of the other parts are coming, it was brought to my attention that there are some grammar and spelling mistakes. Some set ups for jokes could be done better as well. Considering adding the friendship tag.**

 **Not the drama one though, each of the problems presented are motivation for relaxing. They will fuel the fun I have planned for later chapters.**

 **Enjoy.**


	5. Chapter 5

Today day was very hot. The sun blazed above head as Ruby took her first steps into town. Crescent Rose at her back, strapped down tightly to ensure it doesn't slip out. After getting off the air-bus there was something at the back of Ruby's mind, gnawing at her slowly. Though that was probably nerves from meeting with Jaune again, with what she was going to have to tell him she had every right to be nervous.

Ruby arrived a little earlier than she had honestly expected. Not that it was a bad thing, it meant more time to hang out with Jaune but it also mean that she'd have to tell him about the state of his apartment. _I mean he'll be going back in a couple days anyway so I have to tell him here! Right? What would Yang do in this situation?_ Ruby thought that Jaune would be chilled out beyond compare. One little thing stood in her way now. Ruby was lost.

She made it to the town alright but she had a new problem. The address of Jaune's directions didn't point to anything on the map that screamed fun or relaxing to her and he didn't really give her any landmarks to give her a general sense of direction. She didn't even know if Jaune was still in this town. When in doubt, ask the locals. While being lost was one little thing, talking to locals in a place she wasn't the least bit familiar with was a big thing. As the years passed Ruby found herself able to talk to people with more and more ease but the initial difficulty of getting a conversation going was still the most daunting part of that.

You put a swarm of Grimm in her way they'd go down in an instant. Tell her she has to ask a stranger for something Ruby's world just about implodes. Alright, that was a dramatic exaggeration. Still Ruby wasn't exactly a social butterfly and everybody that knew her personally would tell you the exact same thing. Looking at her trying to start a conversation that didn't have to do with killing Grimm, making new weapons or getting a drink was a painful experience to see.

Though that was not how she looked at all. Ruby Rose, when she hasn't been staring down the bottom of a bottle was the very model of what you thought when somebody said huntress. She was strong, distinct and carried a weapon that looked too big and awkward to use by just about every other human and/or faunus on the planet. Hunters were like that, when they first learn how to fight, they design their own weapon and many consider it a representation of their personality.

So when a hunter shows up in a town with their weapon on display most people take a look and decide if they should approach first or if they should speak when spoken to. A woman, that many a person would consider cute given her clothing and slightly smaller stature, could easily kill monsters that plagued the country and the world. To an ordinary person a Hunter was a stylish walking army with no real regard for collateral damage or excessive force. Though the latter made more sense given what a hunter is trained to fight and kill. Grimm weren't giant teddy bears that screamed hug me. Unless you count an Ursa as a teddy.

The butterflies in Ruby's stomach were going wild. If she was here about a contract it'd be fine, just talk to whoever is in charge. Actually that idea must have been exactly what went through Ruby's head because she began to treat it more and more like hunter business and walked towards the most official looking building she could find. That being the place that had 'Mayoral Office' in capital letters on a not so subtle plate outside it.

Her stride was unflinching as people ducked out of the way. Ruby hadn't shown her weapon yet but anybody observant enough could see it strapped to her back, the leather holster tight around it to stop the weapon from getting loose while walking. Safety first.

Blue eyes followed the red cape from across the street corner. If they weren't held up with other business at this very moment, their owner likely would have intercepted the red blur.

The doors flew open as Ruby pushed the handle in "who's the mayor here?" Ruby asked, the tone of her voice a complete betrayal of the terrifying presence she had just this moment inspired in all the poor desk clerks and reception workers. Her cape riding the wind just behind her, ruffling her skirt just a little and giving a glimpse of Crescent Rose just a bit off her back. It's holster strapping the weapon firmly to her body. Ruby did not want to lose it again.

A husky voice called out "that'd be me. Matalan." Ruby turned her head to see a fairly well dressed, definitely middle-aged man standing in front of her. "Yew here for the King Taijitu contract?" he inquired, pointing to the bit of her weapon that wouldn't stay at her back. "Yew look like a huntress to me" his accent thick and his pronunciation of words just a little off.

The tension in the office mounted a little with these words. Workers tried their hardest to not make a sound or tried to leave the room without being noticed. Hunters were and always will be important people in the world, they protect everybody from Grimm. But nobody protected buildings from hunters.

"I am! A huntress, I mean" Ruby shouted excitedly "but that's not why I'm here. I'm looking for a boy." Ruby caught herself, she called Jaune a boy though he had long since become a man. "I mean a man, he has blonde hair and blue eyes. Jaune Arc" Ruby paused, thinking if there was anything more she could add. _I could say he's kinda goofy but would that be ok? I mean I don't want to give these people the wrong impression of him_ she thought. _Oh! If I give them the map they may be able to tell me where it leads to!_ "He gave me this map… Could you tell me where it leads…? Please?"

Handing over the thick piece of paper the sharply dressed Matalan took a glance at the map and pointed out the window to a hill, not at all far away from the building. "Map points to that place" he stated flatly. "You a friend of the family?" Matalan added with no real shift in tone. Ruby didn't quite know how to answer that, she was Jaune's friend sure but she hadn't met the rest of his family. She knew of them and had even seen a few pictures, they apparently liked playing dress up when they were younger. Ruby also knew of Jaune's parents and their easy-going attitude towards pretty much everything.

"Yeah she is" a voice cut into the conversation. "She's here a little earlier than expected but that's good" the voice drew closer, a hand patted Ruby's shoulder "I told you about her before Matalan." Jaune Arc stood there in t-shirt and jeans, his sword and retractable-shield scabbard at his side as always. Ruby could not blame him for not bringing his black hoodie or plated armour given how hot it was. She herself was regretting wearing so many layers and a cloak. "This is Ruby Rose, the first guest" Jaune added, smiling softly.

"I see" the mayor said, it seemed whatever business he had with Ruby was over. Now Jaune was here it was, but that didn't make the dismissive tone any more tolerable. Not that it mattered, Jaune turned to Ruby and bobbed his head in the direction of the door. The two made their way to the exit in complete silence and closed the door behind them. The office let out a collective sigh of relief.

Well, finding Jaune was over with now. Although he found her rather than the other way around. He looked very well, especially in that shirt, it was very clear to see the looks a few of the women around town were giving him that Jaune had definitely been keeping up with his training. The white shirt he was wearing looked a little too tight on him, but that only served to show off his way above-average physique. His jeans looked a little baggier than they used to but on a day like this having clothes that would breathe was almost a requirement. One that Ruby didn't quite meet.

Jaune couldn't help but notice that Ruby was sweating, just a little bit but that was enough to make him worry. It had been nearly two weeks since he asked her to house-sit for him, while he selfishly went off on his 'holiday' without telling anybody where he was going. He felt awful that he made Ruby take time out of her life to spend two weeks with no work looking after his apartment. This was going to be his way of making it up to her, starting with a refreshing drink of strawberry juice. "Wanna stop by here?" He asked, stopping in his tracks. Jaune's had his thumb pointing towards a small shop that emitted a cool breeze from the door.

Ruby nodded in response, a need to get out of the heat and have a real conversation with Jaune her primary motivation at this time. As they crossed the door a typhoon of cool air whipped across Ruby's face, her cape fluttering in the breeze. The sensation of heaven had arrived to take her to the Promised Land where no sweat could touch her. Jaune was too busy being defeated by the cape of his friend to enjoy the cool air that came from the fan on the ceiling of the small shop. The sound of boots hitting the wooden floor was accompanied by the softer sound of trainers doing the same. Rather than a bell this is what alerted the dreary eyed shop-keep to his customers.

"Welcome." The shop-keep smiled "got anything in mind, or just browsin'?"

"Yeah. Got any juice? Strawberry would be the best but if you don't then we'll take whatever you've got." Jaune asked while Ruby disappeared down the isle of stacked alcoholic drinks and kegs. It was a gold mine of exotic drinks and perfectly aged wine, most of this stuff was worth a fortune.

The transaction took a few moments and Ruby had come back up to the register with Jaune. This place wasn't one she felt she could have a proper conversation with him, it also didn't seem the place that would welcome two strangers with weapons sitting in the middle of the floor discussing things. Hunters were protectors of mankind but they weren't above the law, sadly a lot of hunters forget this fact and it tends to end badly for them. One blonde haired bombshell Ruby called her sister was among them. Why she hadn't been arrested for property damage was a mystery that would one day need answers.

Carrying two tubs of red liquid and holding them under his arms Jaune offered his thanks and began to leave the shop. Ruby eyeing the containers with intent, her silver tracking red as it splashed around inside, just out of reach. She could already taste the sweetness of the strawberries and the cold liquid. _It's gonna taste great! It's gonna be sweet!_ Ruby begin to sing this in her head over and over, it was an active effort to stop herself from singing aloud though she did hum along with the tune her mind created. Few things could surpass the joys of sweet strawberries and drinking juice with a friend make it all the sweeter. "Where to now?" Ruby asked.

"The hotel" Jaune replied.

The walk wasn't far or even all that difficult. But add a summer's sun and a hill and then you're just asking for things to get harder than they should be. The reward for completing the challenge was sweat. Horrible, sticky sweat. Ruby was ready to drink a lake if that's what it took to rehydrate. It probably would be by the weight her clothes took on since both she and Jaune had started at the bottom of the hill. It wasn't steep and the steps made it easier to climb but that wasn't any real consolation to either of them. Especially Jaune who had carried two rather heavy containers with him. The sweat giving the real impression of his body. His shirt so damp you could fill a well with the moisture.

Ruby took a look at the palace that lay ahead of her at the top step. "This is the hotel!?" Ruby asked, breathless and very much unable to contain her surprise. Admittedly she hadn't believed the mayor when he had pointed to this place after she gave him the map. She felt that maybe she owed him an apology for that. "Jaune how did you find this place?"

"I'll tell you later Ruby, for now I think we should go have a shower. Put these clothes in the wash" Jaune panted, the steps were a little harder on him it seems.

Passing through the gate and into the courtyard Ruby spotted the fountain immediately and thought to herself how much fun it must be to play in the water. _If I get the chance the first thing I'm going to do is kick the all the water in that at Jaune._ Her body once again a few steps ahead of her as she realised a moment too late. She'd already jumped into the fountain and made a fairly impressive splash. Turning to Jaune who was now just in range she punted the floor as hard as she could. The water flew into the air at mach two speed, the only thing protecting Jaune was his near inexhaustible aura as bullets of clear liquid pelted his face and torso.

He dropped the containers of juice on the ground carefully. He paid for both and would like them to remain intact while he dealt with his newest opponent. "Is that the way you want to play, Ruby!" Jaune shouted from across the way. "Because we can certainly arrange that!" Jaune broke into a sprint, apparently forgetting his previous state of exhaustion. Stamina was not something he'd ever had to worry about. With a heroic leap he closed the distance, his landing punctuated by the water surging up towards Ruby.

"Ah!" she squealed. "Oh, I'll get your for that" giggling Ruby flicked the water towards Jaune, thankfully it wasn't at a dangerously high speed this time. Jaune did the same, hoping to catch her with some, her cape making the perfect armour against the watery assault he was attempting to unleash. The cool water refreshing to them both. Hours came and went as they pleased; the two goofy friends spending time, flicking water and just having fun. No matter how much time passed you were never too old to have fun with friends, be it drinking at a bar or flicking water at one another in a fountain. Laughter echoed through the courtyard till a scant hour of daylight remained. Soon the sky would turn to dusk and night would shortly follow. "Maybe we should go and get those showers now, right?"

"Yeah" Jaune nodded in agreement. The two were thoroughly drenched now. That glass of strawberry juice was sounding like heaven. Jaune scraped the containers off the floor before heading inside with Ruby. Nothing could ruin today and tomorrow he'd send the invitations to the others too, he just hoped they'd get there. The squelching sound of their pair's shoes faded after they reached the steps. "I'll show you to your room, there's an ensuite shower in every one of them, so take your time."

"Thanks!" Ruby was glad to finally be able to get out of her clothes and take a nice, hot shower.

The hallways were all wonderfully furnished, with a few chairs and tables here and there. Places to sit in case you just wanted to admire the view from a window. Some weapons were placed behind a crest that was familiar to Ruby though it didn't quite click; there was something she just couldn't quite grasp about their familiarity. It wasn't quite something that would bother her but it's something she should by all rights know.

Portraits of women and men with the same symbol in armour were hung and lovingly tended to on each wall placed a seemingly precise distance away from one another. Done to make the corridor seem longer than it really was, though it was a long corridor anyway. Since entering the 'hotel' Ruby and Jaune immediately went upstairs towards the left, passing by multiple doors as they did. At the end of hallway Jaune stopped and opened the door a tad, letting Ruby know that this was going to be her room. "I hope you like it." He said, smiling just a little as she walked through.

It was gigantic. Easily twice the size of Jaune's bedroom back at his apartment in Vale, probably bigger. "The shower is through here, you should set out a change of clothes. It's getting late so maybe you should use your pyjamas." Jaune said, opening the door and turning on the light. The ensuite itself wasn't that big by comparison. A shower, bathtub and a sink all shared the same area; each of them neatly placed to give enough space for the other without feeling too cramped or feeling too spacious.

"No, really Jaune. How did you find this place" she asked again, this time she wanted to know.

"I said I'll tell you later and I will. For now get changed. The last thing anybody wants is to catch a cold, y'know?" He replied, desperately trying to avoid bringing it up just yet. It was meant to be a surprise and that's exactly what it will be. "Put your wet clothes in the basket in the corner over there" he pointed to a fairly large wooden basket with a cloth lining.

"Alright then." Ruby began ushering Jaune out of the room, gentle pushes towards the door as if to say "privacy, please." Ruby got undressed quickly, the idea of a shower being very appealing right now. The basket in the corner of the room had accepted the offering of damp clothes, her red cloak placed on a radiator to dry before being washed properly. Still decent in her undergarments, Ruby went to get her change of clothes noticing one thing that was so vital she wasn't sure how she overlooked it. She had forgotten her bag on the air-bus, her clothes inside. She froze in place as she realised that he didn't have a change of clothes.

Jaune wasn't one to intrude on privacy, growing up with seven sisters was lesson enough for that. Jaune ran down a mental checklist of things you do when there are women in your house _First: knock on the door. Second: what's theirs is theirs but what's yours is also theirs. Third: never, under any circumstances tell them they're being too loud. Fourth: be polite, but not a doormat._ Numbers five through ten were not relevant because of what they implied, Jaune just didn't have anybody like that.

Still, he was very much ready for a shower himself so he could understand Ruby wanting to be alone, he made his way to his room on the lower floor. He wouldn't be too long and the time he saved would let him run to the kitchen for a couple of cups. Maybe even get some food on. Ruby must be hungry, she hadn't eaten all day it seemed. But then neither had he and after their playing in the fountain he was very much ready to eat.

Ruby on the other hand was now in need of clothes, something to wear while her actual clothes were in the wash. _I could see if there are any women's clothes around. I mean this place is pretty big I could-_ she cut off her own thoughts because the chances of Jaune having a woman over were frighteningly low. He had also assured her after the dance at Beacon that himself wearing that was a one-time thing to cheer Pyrrha up. He wasn't going to wear girl's clothes for a long time if he could at all help it. Though while they were traveling together they needed bait and Jaune was the only one who could convincingly play a damsel in distress. The pictures in his apartment were taken at these times.

No, she was going to have to ask for some spare clothes. The only other person here was Jaune so… _It's alright, he'll understand_ Ruby tried to convince herself. It worked but asking somebody for a favour while you were just two pieces of cloth away from being nude wasn't exactly a comfort. Especially somebody of the opposite sex. If it wasn't Jaune she was asking then it would be impossible to do, it already felt that way. How should she approach the situation? Just casually walk in and ask? Should she try to explain first? Probably the latter.

As Ruby came to the hallway on the ground floor she heard the unmistakeable sound of a shower from one of the rooms. _That's Jaune's room_ she guessed to herself, approaching quickly, her guess confirmed by Jaune's admittedly not bad singing form inside. Jaune's room was a little smaller than the one he'd given Ruby, but everything about it screamed that it was his. The smell of that particular berry, the comic books scattered about and his sword and shield neatly pressed against his bed. Like the room he gave to Ruby, a basket in the corner held is dirty clothes. Unlike Ruby's there were a few more shirts and pants.

On the side she saw a hoodie poking out of Jaune's chest of drawers, the design on the front was new to her, every time she'd seen him wear his black short sleeved hoodies, he'd also worn the accompanying breastplate. Comparatively the hoodies was far too big for Ruby, it made for a short dress or a nightgown. It would be perfect for Ruby given the current circumstances and her options regarding clothing. It took a couple of moments for Ruby to steady her breaths and speak up.

"Hey… Jaune." Ruby cried from just outside the shower door. Nervous about his answer to the question she needed to ask.

"R-Ruby… I didn't hear you knock. Was I singing too loud?" he replied sheepishly though the door. "What's wrong?"

"I, um, don't have any clothes." Taking a pause Ruby explained that she'd forgotten her travel bag on the air-bus. Jaune took it surprisingly well, stopping the shower and standing behind the door.

"Well there are no women's clothes here, sorry about that." Jaune's tone wasn't particularly apologetic though, instead he seemed used to that being an excuse. "Why don't you use one of my hoodies? They're pretty warm, should be alright to use as nightclothes" he added without any hesitation. Ruby couldn't help but notice that part. How many times had something like this happened in the past? He had seven sisters so it wouldn't be surprising for them to take his things every now and then.

"Thanks." Ruby said before taking the clothing he had offered her. After hearing the door close Jaune was free to take a step into his room and get dressed himself. His usual one-piece pyjamas were destroyed years ago, Jaune had instead took to wearing some pants and a vest to sleep in. The bunny print on the pants were reminders of the loss he had suffered then.

Ruby taking his hoodie was surprising, even more surprising was that she forgot her travel bag in the first place. _That wasn't like her, could there be something she isn't telling me?_ Jaune stood, deep in thought as he remembered the last time somebody didn't want to talk about their problems. That day didn't end well for anybody and while Jaune wasn't a stranger to keeping secrets he was opposed to bottling everything in when it came to avoiding certain subjects.

Ruby was a damn good friend, essentially family at this point. If there was something stressing her out then it shouldn't be too much trouble to talk about it, right? Jaune sighed. _When Ruby won't talk and nobody else is around there is only one thing to do._ A bag at the bottom of his bed held some of this things, including a recipie Ren had left him. _When in doubt make Ruby some cookies. Whatever she's hiding will fall out with the crumbs_.

Ruby herself and gotten to her room again in a blur of petals and twirling. Not fast enough to do any damage to the environment but fast enough that her detour to Jaune's room didn't take any time out of her evening. Her shower wasn't anywhere near as quick though. She took her time and enjoyed every moment of the warm water hitting her skin. Her scalp became a waterfall as each of the drops danced along her head and down each hair till sliding off to the porcelain floor. The sensation of warm water on Ruby's skin began to rip away and replace the cold she had felt not long before. If it kept up any long Ruby thought she may melt.

When Ruby was finished dusk had set in the sky outside. Jaune's hoodie was perfect for the given temperature of the place. She took her time to get to the lounge downstairs, Jaune had popped a note under her door to say that the drinks would be waiting there. They were, as was he. Two tall glasses filled with the red liquid Jaune had purchased earlier in the day sat on the table. "Thanks. Jaune. You're the best" Ruby said, taking a seat next to him.

"Not done just yet Ruby, there's cookies in the oven" declaring the snack before it was fully made. "I figured you'd want some after your shower, sorry they aren't ready yet."

"That's alright." Ruby would have said something else but the ding sound from the kitchen demanded Jaune go to the treats that were soon to be ready for consumption. Ruby cast her mind back to the events of the day, how enjoyable they were overall. Forgetting your luggage was not fun but everything else? It was a welcome change of pace and one that Ruby really didn't want to ruin. As Jaune stood up to leave for the kitchen Ruby gave a genuine smile into her glass.

An engine blazed from outside, the unmistakeable sound of somebody revving up a bike could be heard from inside the windows. The peace that Ruby and Jaune were planning to enjoy tonight was shattered in the following instant.

 **Note: Chapters from here are going to take a little longer. College has started again for me, updates will be posted as soon as they are finished.**


	6. Chapter 6

Between Yang and Blake a silent bet was made. Which one of the two would stick the landing, and what the prize would be if they won? It was a silent bet so the finer details weren't elaborated on, but as the motorbike made contact with the huge wooden doors the winner seemed to be Blake. As the doors collapsed the momentum that the bike gained turned to force and that force threw Yang and her metal motor across the lobby. Blake had dismounted mid-air and landed gracefully on her feet with no issue at all. Sometimes Blake liked being born a black cat.

Yang took a moment to applaud her partner "purrfect" Yang stated, no irony present in her voice. Blake just bowed, taking the very Yang-ish compliment. This was something she'd grown used to over time and more than that, she'd won the bet without doing anything substantial. _Now that was purrfect_ Blake thought to herself.

"What are you guys doing!?" Ruby shouted, startling Yang and Blake, they cocked their heads in the direction of her voice. It was a mix of surprise and sheer happiness to see the two right now; only person that was missing was Weiss and then it would have been a full Team RWBY reunion.

"RUBY!" The pair shouted at the same time, charging into a hug with their younger leader. Time had passed but Ruby was still very much the leader to Blake and Yang, to the latter she was a little sister too. This hug had been a long time coming and it showed no signs of being broken for anything. Not even the draft the duo had created by smashing a motorbike through Jaune's door. Yang and Blake were mostly relieved that Ruby was around, not questioning the presence of their leader to themselves. If anybody would be here first it would definitely be Ruby.

"Is that Jaune's hoodie?" Blake asked. It took her a moment to notice that her leader was not in her usual nightclothes. Glancing the length of her slightly smaller body, she couldn't help but notice Ruby shiver a little with her exposed legs. _It's a good fit for her, a little big but if she got some of her own she would definitely pull it off well_ Blake gave her leader a silent compliment with these thoughts in mind.

"Oh, yeah." Ruby paused trying to explain this in a way that didn't embarrass her to no end. If she told Yang she left her clothes on the air-bus she'd never hear the end of it. "Well, um, you see it's a funny story really." Ruby going to allow herself to omit certain parts of the truth from her story, not a lie but now the whole truth, Jaune invited her; she showed up in town and met up with Jaune and after that they played in the fountain outside. If Jaune would just come back from the kitchen with food this would be straightened out in no time at all. How he hadn't heard the noise and come to investigate was strange, either that or he was on his way right now with his sword to help Ruby with wherever her current problem was.

Meanwhile Yang was becoming more and more confused. After taking a step back to look at all the information present Yang went on to connect the dots in a way that only a sister could. Here, she had her cute younger sister, staying at a place that was presumably owned by a friend and ally from school and from on the hunters trail, who was apparently recently deceased. While sitting in a lounge area with nothing but the hoodie, the preferred clothing, of said deceased friend. Yang reached the conclusion that only a sister could in this situation.

Meanwhile Jaune did indeed hear a loud crash, and was very much on his way to the lounge. No weapon though, unless a bowl full of cookie dough counted as a weapon, the tray of cookies in the kitchen being too hot to take by hand. The ears on his bunny slippers bobbing up and down as he ran through the hallways. Opening the door to the lounge with alerting speed he entered with "RUBY ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Jaune's voice carried with it fear, but fear over the well-being of a friend who he had wanted to give the time of her life to. His plans were already in motion to that end. Interrupting Ruby's explanation before it even began, gasping slightly as he realised that Blake and Yang were standing with Ruby.

"AHHHHH!" Yang screamed at Jaune's approach while Blake grabbed Ruby and launched herself backwards with a shadow cat taking her place. Yang wasted no time in charging towards him, her metallic limb storing up power to unleash at the bowl holding monster that had just stormed the room. With footsteps like lightening Yang closed the get between herself and Jaune, lifting her limb directly towards Jaune's abs. She let loose with a full blown aura-enhanced rocket punch, ripping through Jaune's vest with the sheer force of the attack. With the only sound present coming from Jaune being the sound of air rapidly leaving his lungs he couldn't help but notice the pattern of the floor beneath him. _Why am I staring at the floor_ Jaune realised a fraction of a second later what that actually meant but there was nothing he could do now.

"Why are you screaming!? He only went to make cookies!" Ruby shouted, a little too late to stop Yang's attack from connecting with Jaune or the spectacular freak out that Yang was probably about to undergo. Blake looked confused by the situation and did what was natural to her, Yang must've done the same. It would certainly explain her reaction to a person she should have hugged, not pummelled. Though after lengthy and emotional goodbyes Yang did seem to say hello with a punch or two, Blake remembered that much after their reunion some years ago; their reunion earlier today replaced the fist with a motorbike to maybe Jaune got off lucky. _Yang must've really missed Jaune_ Blake snarked to herself silently.

Launched into the air and robbed of his shirt Ruby couldn't tell what was going on. Only that Jaune was now lying face down of the floor after taking a ridiculous punch from Yang. His aura held firm and the damage done to him was gone in mere seconds. The damage to the roof when Jaune hit it would not be fixed so easily. When Jaune hit the floor the bowl he was holding smashed and covered Yang in cookie dough. While it was an amusing sight to see, as Blake and Ruby's laughter would imply, though it was far less funny for Yang.

Not only did she just punch a friend in the stomach and send him flying, she got cookie dough in her hair and all over her outfit. Time and again Yang had put herself in bother because of her hot-blooded nature, this was one of those times. This was somebody she should have been glad to see, especially since she thought he was dead just a few moments prior to the meeting. Alternating between feeling sorry for Jaune and being mad about her hair. _Oh my God he's out cold,_ concern seemed to win the day, though Yang still picked the dough off her clothes.

"Why did you hit Jaune?!" Ruby shouted from across the room, closing the gap the best she could without using her semblance and doing any more damage to the building. "He just made some cookies!"

"Because I thought it wasn't Jaune but a ghost or a zombie!" Yang replied, the panic in her voice nearly as high as the crack on the ceiling above her. "I didn't know it was really him till my punch connected!" Yang added getting steadily more and more frantic in tone "the poem outside and everything, we thought he was dead and this was his house!"

This news clearly took Ruby aback, why would this be Jaune's house? He said it was a hotel, sure Ruby hadn't seen any staff but they were probably home for the night, nowhere could give a full twenty-four hour service unless they had enough people working at the same time. When the only place you had to recruit staff was a small town it didn't give you all that many labour options so it made sense to her. It's not like Jaune would lie about something like that anyway. _Did she just say Jaune was a ghost or zombie? He's like, one of the liveliest people ever!_

"What poem?" Ruby asked, "Jaune didn't show me any poem." Ruby sounded slightly jealous, _did Jaune send her a poem? Do I have one?_ _Was it in Yang's invitation?_ Ruby wasn't at all sure of the poem being in the invitation Jaune may have sent to Yang, but that was probably because Yang was a vagrant, like most Huntsmen and women. Reaching her on anything but a scroll was near impossible because of a lack of address. It was possible but there was no saying that Yang would answer, the stars must have aligned for that to happen.

"The poem Jaune's sisters wrote, we thought it was about Jaune and some guy came out asking if we were going to pay our respects to a grave" Yang replied, explaining herself.

"Then why did you decide to drive a bike through the door?" Ruby needed to know the answer to that, but she already knew really. Yang had always been a thrill seeker and when emotions were high Yang's reasoning went lower. She wasn't thinking.

"I wasn't thinking!" Yang raised her voice, panic not quite subsiding. The only thought on Ruby's mind now was _figures_.

Blake went over to the blonde duo and stood near the one on the floor, aura could take a lot of hits and Jaune had enough to spare at the best of times. He could readily take hits that other people would die if they tried, the actual extent of his immense aura still likely hadn't been seen. Unfortunately for Jaune, he hit the ceiling pretty hard and as Blake had established earlier today the environment was the most deadly thing to a hunter. If you wanted to take one out of a fight you would literally have to eject them from the battle somehow, the environment was by far the best way to do that. Checking his pulse and breathing he seemed ok, but everything was never really as it seemed. Who knows what damage he could have actually suffered? One thing was clear to Blake however, Jaune wouldn't wake up any time soon.

"Iiiisssss he… alive?" Yang questioned, unsure and not looking at her partner, busy swiping off the thick mixture off her clothes and carefully trying to remove the blobs from her hair. Yang placed pride in her hair, how well it had been maintained despite roaming from place to place was nothing short of amazing. While she used to let if fall around the place Yang quickly realised that her metal limb would catch on her hair easily and that would be painful. Rather than cut it all off as many would, Yang instead opted to tie her hair in a ponytail, the desired effect was achieved and the golden strands were free from danger.

"He's doing better than your clothes are." Blake replied, trying her best not to bring attention to what Yang really cared about, at least not directly. Instead she just made a gesture towards the top of her friends head, as if to say 'you missed some'. "Well, maybe now that we're all calm, how about we talk about what just happened rather than punch Jaune again" Blake added, secretly finding it amusing that events had taken a turn this way. It was far better than what they had initially expected when Yang made her entrance to the place.

Ruby walked over to her team, in the old days she would have tried to scold them for something they did wrong and letting their emotions get ahead of themselves. Instead she gave them a warm embrace, more than the two had messed up at the moment Ruby was just glad to see them again. Only she wished that Yang hadn't just pelted Jaune with something that could eviscerate a normal person she was glad that Yang was here, that's what mattered. Blake too. "I didn't explain why I'm in Jaune's hoodie, did I?" Ruby added into the hug and began to squeeze just a little tighter.

The three dragged Jaune to a seat and placed him in the proper posture, sitting upright because it was less awkward for them all to sit near one another than it was to lie Jaune down and allow him to use one of their laps as a pillow. Since Yang was the one to knock him out that would have volunteered her by default and the sensation of having a head on your lap didn't appeal to Yang. Admittedly he was a little heavier than any of the three women thought he would be and a lot more muscular than Blake felt comfortable knowing. Sitting across from her with tattered rags that used to be a vest covering only his chest, his nicely toned body was in plain view.

Ruby poured drinks, only this time not strawberry juice, out for the three of them to share while Jaune was still limp. Discussing the events that led up to the current situation from her side, detailing in incident in Jaune's apartment, though leaving the detail of Pyrrha's sword out of the conversation. She then went on to describe her time in the town, how the mayor had a funny speech pattern and how she had played with Jaune in the fountain outside. Finally admitting that she had forgotten her luggage on the air-bus and would have to go in the morning to get it, though she asked Jaune for the hoodie and he graciously allowed her to wear it. At this point Ruby had forgotten about the cookies Jaune had baked but they didn't really matter now anyway. The drinks Ruby poured took precedence though Ruby thought it was a shame Jaune couldn't drink with them.

Yang didn't say much of her own time, neither did Blake. Recounting their events from entering the town a few minutes prior to finding the poem and punching the man who Blake now expected to be the mayor with Ruby's description as an aide. Yang didn't seem to catch that part or, just as likely, she was trying her hardest to ignore it. After the situation on both sides was explained all that was left was to swap stories also sip at the alcohol Ruby had set out. Given the lack of a cabinet or any clear display of alcohol Yang wondered where Ruby had taken the booze from. Until she remembered one tid-bit _trained by Qrow._

It was Yang's turn to tell the story first; she had the perfect one in mind. Wicked grin crept its way onto Yang's face as she opened her mouth to speak first "Story time!" Ruby turned to her sister to listen intently, Blake couldn't help but wonder exactly what constituted a story in Yang's head other than the ones she used to tell at Beacon. To save a long-winded explanation they often involved the words 'punched something' or 'punched something harder'. Yang started "There I was, slap bang in the middle of a four-way."

"YANG!" Blake interrupted, blushing lightly giving a gesture towards Ruby who seemed slightly startled by Blake's sudden shouting. "Don't you think that's a little much?"

"What? Ruby's grown-up enough now to know how hard it is to fight four hundred-year Grimm yourself" Yang gave Blake a knowing look, "but I do have a story like what you're think Blake… If you're interested." Yang added to amuse herself, though Blake rolled her eyes at Yang's childish antic. Although with her own outburst it was hard to wonder who was being more childish about things. "Aaaaanyway, there I was, in the middle of a four-way between some of the biggest, nastiest Grimm this-side of Vale. Each one was over ten foot and had razor sharp spines. Normal attacks wouldn't but it, not by a long-shot." Yang paused for dramatic effect, and to catch her breath slightly "all of 'em looked like a porcupine. It was a prickly situation to be sure." Yang gave a small grins and a glance to Blake and Ruby who didn't react "I rolled towards the first one and grabbed the quills; threw it into a tree. You should've seen it move around. I almost felt sorry for it. The other two charged at me and jumped, Grimm are meant to get smarter with age but these things left themselves way too wide open." Yang giggled a little "they were like Beowoulves to the slaughter!"

"What about the fourth?" Ruby asked, almost starry-eyed at her sister's tale.

"It went underground. What do you think happened when I let loose a rocket punch and caused a tremor?" Yang asked her sister, rhetorically. Before Yang could finish her story she was interrupted.

"It exploded?" Ruby questioned. Blake laughed in the background at the honest attempt at an answer that came from her leader's lips.

"Nope, it go crushed" Yang answered. "The shaking knocked the Grimm on the tree loose though, it fell and all its spikes got stuck in the tree. You might even say… it was spineless" Yang paused again to look at Ruby and Blake, both not really caring about her attempted joke. _I thought it was funny_ she consoled herself before finishing her story. "So as it was getting up I rammed it with my shoulder, sending it flying into its own spines!" Yang concluded with a smile, there was more to this story. But she didn't want to tell her partner or her sister about how she blew her payment on hair products and styling tips from Coco.

The banter between the three had gone on longer with Blake being the next to tell a story of how she managed to get a tree to slam into the side of a building in the ruins of Mountain Glenn. Only to create a third hole for people to fall into in the death trap of a ruin it had become. On the plus side Ruby now knew the identity of the great destroyer the history channel had been searching for, an interview with Blake would make the ratings soar to new heights, and probably make Blake a public enemy. _That probably wouldn't be a problem, Blake's almost as fast as I am!_ Ruby thought.

When time came for Ruby's story she told Blake and Yang about using a feather from a Nevermore as a spring-board to cut at its wing. Only to miss completely and keep herself airborne by firing Crescent Rose repeatedly. It wasn't more than a moment or two after she ran out of ammo and had to improvise, which meant falling to the floor and taking half a tree with her. Which she then launched at the monsters face, taking its head clean off. "SQUARIRRRRRR-THOCK!" The way Ruby described the sound of the impact and the noise the creature made when the over-sized long hit was both adorable and funny. Over time the conversation went silent, each just enjoying the others company without the need for sound, other than what little was audible from each of woman each time they took a sip from their glass.

Jaune hadn't moved since the girls sat him down, though now that Yang thought about it there wasn't a lot that could be done about him right now. His immobile state being her fault alone, due to her impressive overreaction. Though given Jaune's condition there was nobody else awake to watch over Ruby just in case. Yang couldn't let her sister sleep in a place like this all by herself. Blake likely agreed, though exactly what was to be done about the sleeping arrangement was a huge matter of debate. Or not, since the manor was massive and had rooms upon rooms to spare. "Well we can't let you sleep here. Not alone anyway" Blake said, looking at Ruby who smiled at the implication of Blake's statement.

"You're staying?"

"We're staying!" Yang confirmed, opening her arms wide in excitement. The sound of thick metal colliding with a squishy flesh caught the three of guard as Yang had again struck Jaune in the face, somehow none of the girls noticed that he was stirring from his unwanted slumber and ready to awaken. How nobody noticed Jaune move wasn't much of a mystery as the alcohol was to blame somewhat, at least from Blake's point of view; to Yang and Ruby they were just caught up in telling stories and having fun. The firm slap soon put a stop to that.

Yang gave a small blush in embarrassment "I, uh, think Jaune was welcoming us…" trying to hide her embarrassment Yang placed her metallic limb tightly at her side, internally telling herself off for hurting Jaune twice within the space of what had to have been an hour. In fact the time was considerably later, the gossip and alcohol combined with the excitement of seeing her sister again destroyed all sense of time that Yang had. Though the same could be said for Blake and Ruby too.

Earlier in their conversation they had created a list of things to ask Jaune when he woke up, then written down the questions on a sheet of paper. If he was feeling up to answering them then the overall mystery of where they were and the nature of the manor would be solved and the girls would be able to enjoy this new time together. But since Yang had forced them to miss one opportunity for the answers they would definitely have to wait until tomorrow. The mess they made could be cleaned then, or so Yang thought. Ruby and Blake didn't have the energy to argue, the recent event took whatever strength they had and with time marching on the way it was, all of the girls thought that they should turn in for the night.

They left Jaune where he was, moving him now would be too difficult and he honestly looked quite comfortable. Blake had enough of seeing his bare skin and placed one of Yang's spare jackets over his torso, to keep him both warm and modest. It was a kind gesture, especially coming from Blake who was definitely the least acquainted with Jaune of all team RWBY. She did consider him a friend and ally but compared to Ruby or even Weiss, Blake was the member of team RWBY that interacted with Jaune the least. To say she even really knew all that much about him, even now, would be a huge stretch. If anyone Blake had a silent understanding with Ren and she was much closer to him than anybody else in JN_R.

Yang noticed and gave Blake playful look, poking fun at Blake's kind gesture towards Jaune. Blake's reply was to point to Yang's shirt, where she had missed a large clump of cookie dough and hadn't noticed. Rolling her eyes Yang went to grab it. Ruby who was already on the landing atop the stairs looked down to see if her sister and friend were still following, only to see her sister grab her chest "Yang! There's a time and a place, this isn't it!" Ruby shouted, startling her sister. Without waiting for a reply Ruby walked through the doors that led to the hallway with her room, Blake coyly put her fingers to her lips and smiled, the silent banter made much of the journey up the stairs to follow Ruby. Checking the doors for a place that Blake and Yang could sleep soundly in.

Two rooms were found, black and yellow respectively. Questions were raised by Blake and Yang but ignored by the collective will that screamed in their heads 'get in the bed or we sleep here' _._ The three women were not in any mood or position to argue with such an authoritative voice, especially when the voice came from their own subconscious. They hadn't drank much alcohol, not enough to rob them of all their faculties but they did have enough to dictate their lack of grace with footsteps as Blake fumbled the way to her room. Blake had only ever drunk on special occasions, in no way was she a heavy enough drinker to not be affected in some small way. Ruby couldn't help but think Blake was lightweights from how two glasses of larger had done that much to her. Although with an education from the heaviest drinker on Remnant Ruby probably had just about everyone beat when it came to how much you could drink without being touched.

Blake had never been one to drink all that much and while the believed herself to be fine a moment before all the alcohol she consumed went straight to her head. It would have been embarrassing to be out drunk by Ruby but after seeing Qrow it was understandable that she was unaffected, Yang too but that was for a different reason. Most of the girls at Beacon years ago assumed that anything Yang drank went straight to her breasts and with how much more she developed since they may have been right.

When the three disappeared into their rooms for the night, Blake and Ruby were the only two that managed to win the battle with their brains and claim the prize of sleep. Yang was having difficulty. Was it the guilt of assaulting Jaune or that creep with the thick accent? Probably the former if that was the feeling Yang was at this moment suffering but she wasn't sure. She was going to apologise for the harm she caused him, there was no two ways about that, but there was something about the situation that Yang couldn't quite swallow. Ruby said Jaune called this place a hotel, he couldn't possibly not know that this place was the Arc manor so why did he call it that? This was just one question on the list that the girls planned to ask Jaune tomorrow so that wasn't all that much of a problem in the grander scheme of things.

Stripping down completely before laying in the warm bed Yang placed her face into the pillow. There was another question that Yang couldn't quite work out but that was something she had wanted to ask Jaune in private, away from sensitive ears or people with capes. From what Ruby had told Yang and Blake while Jaune was in dream-land she had been housesitting for Jaune while she was in Vale, why did he ask Ruby to do it instead of Ren or Nora? Yang had a conclusion of her own but she wanted to hear what excuse Jaune had before deciding if she was right or not. Nothing could help her to stop reasoning and theorising as she attempted to sleep, her lilac eyes darting around the room as the question bounced around in her head like the most intense game of ping-pong ever played. Forcing herself to sleep as the question infested her dream, too graphic for detail. How many more times would the dream infect her? Only time would tell.

The sound of birds from outside woke Jaune from his unwanted nap, his nose bleeding a little from the mighty, though completely unintentional, slap Yang gave him. His head spinning as he looked around and found a bike in his lounge, soon to be an accompanying lobby area. The real lounge would have a bar at the back and more tables for meals. To the side he saw his busted front door, not being able to decide which was wore, though Jaune knew which one was a priority. He needed to do something about the door before anything else. Especially sorting through his thoughts.

Real repairs would have to come later, Jaune just needed the doors up to stop a draft coming though. If Nora was here she'd have no trouble with this, Ren may have also been able to do the repairs given his habit of pulling new skills out of nowhere when you needed them most. It took a lot of huffing and puffing for Jaune to lift the first door and the second one nearly had him completely spent but through a trial and feat of strength Jaune had managed to lift both doors and make them say within the frame. The draft was not an issue, though how quickly that would change depended on how quickly Jaune could fix the door and how well the repairs held. _I think I have a toolkit in my room, the repairs would be shoddy… But I think they'd hold well enough_ Jaune assured himself.

The absence of his assaulter and her partner in crime, as well as his first guest was an indicator they had all gone to bed. The fact the bike was still in the lounge told Jaune they were still here. In his soon-to-be-hotel-but-not-quite-yet manor. He hoped they found some decent rooms, he wasn't quite finished preparing theirs just yet, though now they were here he could give them their invitations right away and explain what's going on. Yang wasn't one to punch somebody without a good enough reason and it seemed she panicked when she saw Jaune; rare as the sight was Jaune knew the facial expressions of a woman freaking out.

Jaune took a seat where he had been taking his involuntary rest, finding Yang's jacket that was presumably draped over him. Any one of the girls could have draped it over him, though Jaune assumed it was Yang in a pre-emptive attempt at a peace offering; it was just the most logical thing Jaune could think of at the time. Jaune took a moment to reflect on his relationship with all of team RWBY, each of the exceptional girls he knew back a Beacon had now become legendary warriors. Ruby, he thought of her as the little sister he always wanted but never had, Weiss was the first girl he'd ever genuinely tried to peruse in a romantic way; Yang was flirtatious and encouraging, friendly to a fault. Blake was a friend, he knew she was a faunus but not a whole lot after that fact; even after fighting alongside each other for a while Jaune still only really knew what she told him, which was little to nothing.

A long night of repairs lay just ahead and with his two new guests arriving before their invitation was sent seemed a little bleak when you think in terms of scheduling. In reality all that had changed was Jaune now wouldn't sleep tonight, his plan would still move forward. Which was wonderful when it came to getting his business off the ground.

CAW. Jaune froze, a bird had slipped past him, and the creature was black as the night. Any white patches and you could be forgiven for thinking it was a tiny Nevermore, it had a presence oddly enough for a creature so small. There was something familiar about the creature, like he had seen it before but he couldn't quite remember where. It was important that he remember but nothing clicked.

As Jaune approached he could have sworn that it was staring down and silently judging him. Each step was another twist of the creature's head. Seemingly attempting to get a feel for the boy as he approached. Quickly the bird spread its wings and made a swooping dive-bomb for Jaune's head, missing by a narrow margin. With the skill of an Atlas fighter pilot the bird re-adjusted its course again making a dive for the blonde's scalp. Each miss the bird seemed more and more determined to catch the boy on the head. As if this was some kind of game to be played with a child you just weren't ready to admit was an adult yet, the black bird was toying with Jaune. How exactly this came about was something Jaune really wished to know, what was it about airborne animals that hated him so much?

Jaune backpedalled, eventually the back of his legs touched the table where two empty cups and a half-full glass of liquid stood tall and proud. Taking in hand the glass that still had liquid inside Jaune waited for his chance to make a counter attack. The sound of fluttering picked up as the bird once again went to attack Jaune, only this time the assault was stopped dead in its tracks as Jaune held up the glass and slammed his avian adversary into the liquid. "Stay there for a while" Jaune said in triumph of the victory he had gained over the bird. The action could be considered animal abuse, though the bird was the aggressor in this situation Jaune couldn't prove a bird had tactical skills or the ability to emulate the movements of Vale's air force parades for offensive purposes. It looked like it had been rehearsed to perfection. Not that Jaune, a huntsman by trade, would want to be taken to court trying to explain that a bird attacked him.

Setting down the liquid and his feathery friend Jaune went to get changed. New clothes, new start. Tomorrow looked to be a big enough day with Blake and Yang here, though that was fine. Actually it was perfect, the only one Jaune had to contact now was Weiss and he had all the time in the world for that now he didn't have to find Blake or Yang. As Jaune placed on his new clothes he took his classic sword and its sheath to his side, the tighter of the belts keeping it held neatly at his waist. Jaune sighed as he tossed the vest he was wearing as the top to his nightclothes aside _another perfectly good set of pyjamas ruined_. The bed-side table held the invitations for the guests that arrived earlier today. First thing tomorrow Jaune would give the invites to Yang and Blake before going to collect Ruby's luggage from the lost and found at the station so Ruby could have a proper change of clothes. He highly doubted she wanted to wear his clothes all the time she was here.

Tonight Jaune Arc was not going to get any sleep. The work he absolutely needed to complete meant that his ambition for a place hunters could call their own was beginning and with his surprise, extremely early booking arriving at noon tomorrow Jaune would have to pull out all the stops. He needed test cases and this Estelle Silvermane could be just another added to the list. Shame the staff wouldn't arrive till tomorrow evening but that's what you get for opening a hotel in a town where everybody has the job they want.

One last thing Jaune needed to think of was what he would call his hotel. Tomorrow he planned to ask Ruby, Blake and Yang their thoughts on the name he had been considering the most. With a crack of his knuckles and a stretch Jaune grabbed a tool kit and began working as quietly as possible. A smile on his face Jaune could only think of what his completed vision would look like. The image was beautiful and was something to keep him going through the long night ahead. Especially as his black feathered friend seemed to have taken a liking to the liquid in the glass.

 **Note: Enjoy and feel free to point out anything that feels off in the chapter. I re-wrote this three times before uploading.**


	7. Chapter 7

As the sun began to rise Jaune was just now putting the shoddy bolts into the door, complete but incomplete. One good push and this thing would probably fall over: _It's a hazard that'll have to go_ he thought. What to replace it with would take a while, the doors were made of very sturdy wood that needed a lot of maintenance. Maintenance that Granddad Arc carried out himself till recently. The twinge of sadness faded faster and faster now that Jaune was fully prepared to move on from the recent tragedy that was Granddad Arc leaving the world. The manor helped but so did the fact that Granddad Arc had lived a very full life, even up to his death he was still killing Grimm and still living well. Something to be admired for sure.

Jaune climbed down the ladder he had used to reach the shoddy bolts. Wiping the small amount of sweat off his brow now he was done Jaune was ready to move onto the next part of his chores for the day. Which meant cooking a breakfast for the girls, his guests. The kitchen was cool and the air had an early-morning peace to it, still and calm. Especially now the black bird had drank itself to sleep, that couldn't be healthy at all for a bird. Alcohol sure as hell wasn't healthy for a human… If it were drank in excessive amounts.

Ruby was simple to cook for, she enjoyed most things as long as they were sweet and had a glass of milk; while Jaune wasn't sure what the milk was for anymore, given that Ruby had grown into a woman that damn near anyone would be jealous of, he didn't want to think of the consequences of not delivering what he thought was her favourite drink. Ruby's food was placed in the centre, with different fruits surrounding it, looking as appetizing and appealing as possible. Her food was prepared in a bowl and placed out in Clingfilm, it wasn't hot and could be enjoyed the moment she wanted it.

Cooking for Yang was simple as well, knowing that she'd probably been on the road a while with the dirt on her bike anyway, Jaune had assumed that she hadn't eaten a hearty breakfast in a long time. It was no secret that Yang liked foods that were spicy, often eating bowls of chilli and rice at Beacon or complaining that a curry was too mild. To this end he had the perfect recipe for her, something his mum had taught him, and that Ren had helped him finish. Two eggs, a dash of pepper, some roughly chopped spinach and a chopped tomato later Yang's breakfast would be the best she'd had in a while. Jaune only had to add the hot sauce for the last kick. The only thing Yang should be drinking after this is ice-cream.

Blake was going to be far more difficult to cook for, he knew she liked fish but didn't know what kind of fish. He had a little of everything: mackerel, tuna, salmon and some other kinds he didn't even know existed. Jaune began trying to think of something Blake would like that could be made with the fish but continued to draw up blanks. He sighed before finding an oat-cake and decided that a few pieces of spam wrapped in that with some cheese and garlic would be enough of a breakfast for anybody. Blake's drink was just a plain glass of water that Jaune place inside a nice glass.

Each of the three stirred in their bed rooms, somehow aware that food was being made and set-out, but still too tired to go and get it. Fortunately Jaune had left instructions to the microwave, anticipating that they wouldn't get up till they had to. This was something of a goal Jaune had, he was trying to make this a place hunters could come to relax after all.

According to his book Estelle Silvermane wouldn't arrive till mid-day, the clock right now was just shy of six. Jaune was both nervous and excited at the idea of meeting the first customer to his hotel, likely somebody that would spread word if he made a good enough impression. The substantial amount of money he was getting before he'd even officially opened was quite the bonus too, it meant he made his first profit, even without staff. Best part still was the voice of the woman on the other end of the phone, presumably Estelle herself, was quite tantalising. She spoke with a soft professionalism, business like but still oddly gentle, whoever she was Estelle was somebody Jaune wanted to meet.

The now fainted bird lay with its wings open wide on the table, beak open and contented caws every now and then assured Jaune it was alive and didn't drown itself last night. He wasn't sure if that was much of a comfort, considering its assault on him. He wasn't sure if he had woken it at some points with the hammering on the door but that quickly stopped being an actual concern because if he did the bird deserved it. Jaune didn't ask for a war with a bird he wanted to quietly get on with his evening.

Still the beautiful sunrise was slowly oncoming, sleep didn't happen for Jaune but he still felt rested. Or maybe rested wasn't quite the right word, he was awake and not tiring any time soon but he wasn't bursting with energy. Instead he was just going along like usual just slightly groggier and slower than normal, which shouldn't be much of an issue. _Ok, what's next?_ Jaune pondered, silent in thought. His mental check-list not being quite up to date with last night's events. _Door, fixed. Roof, needs fixing A.S.A.P but that's something for a professional, not me. Is there something Ruby needs?_ Jaune paused and struck his palm against his face for forgetting something so important. Ruby needed her luggage. With this being remembered Jaune went out into the morning air though a side-door to the hotel.

Something about how cool the air was in the morning made the stroll all the more pleasant as a gentle breeze wrapped itself on Jaune's skin. He had eaten something but compared to what he'd made for the girls it wasn't anything spectacular. Stretching as he made it down the hill Jaune decided to talk with the locals, before going for Ruby's things at the lost and found. The town wasn't bustling with energy but had more of a sleepy feel to it, like walking through the shared bedroom of a sibling while one slept. Maybe that wasn't the best analogy but it's the one that made the most sense to Jaune, given his upbringing. The sounds the dirt path made under his feet soon changed to clicking on cobbled stone as Jaune neared the town square. Few of the vendors were up and used this time to shop among each other. They stopped to greet Jaune, who they now knew as the Arc living in the manor. While he hadn't declared lordship he did say that he would take care of any Grimm that showed themselves around the town and fields, it was good enough for them. An Arc never goes back on their word after all.

Jaune had already killed a few Beowulves and an Ursa Major that came to the town, the absolute best being a Death Stalker Jaune had managed to trick into stinging its own head before driving his sword through its mouth. That one gained him some applause from the villagers that had seen it.

Pained groaning gained Jaune's attention as he passed the town square, noticing some scorch marks, tire tracks and one grown man laid out on the floor by a bread stall. It was Matalan and his new side-kick, comically oversized bruise. But no Matalan had a huge black eye and the swelling didn't seem to be going down any time soon. In fact he looked and sounded in pain, a lot of pain. "Hey, are you ok Matalan?" Jaune said, extending a hand. It surprised Jaune a little that the mayor of the town took his hand to hoist himself up, admittedly Matalan came off as a little intimidating to Jaune, but that was mostly because of how little he spoke when he didn't have to.

"I think I met another two of yew's friends" Matalan stated flatly. "One isn't a natural blonde" he added, sounding hugely disappointed by the revelation. _Yang._ Jaune gave an honest thought to telling him otherwise but it wouldn't be a wise idea, mainly because all of Yang's possible reactions involved punching. Even after her years at Beacon and being a huntress on the roads, Yang still hadn't learned to not punch the first thing that makes you jump or that offends you. How she hadn't been thrown into a prison yet was a wonder of the world, _I hope she doesn't do that to any of my staff_.

Jaune sat to talk with Matalan for a while, as long as he was back at the hotel by noon it wouldn't be a problem to know what was going on in town, it's never a bad thing to have information. As Jaune sat talking with the mayor of the town he gained some destressing news, mostly about the state of the town and that news wasn't destressing in any way. As a matter of fact was all good news, things that pointed to people have less problems. The destressing news Jaune gained was about also the airbus. Apparently the only lost and found is in Vale and the items there are normally gone by the next day, scroungers and thieves looking to collect on easy money by the box load, unethical but not illegal. Not in Vale anyway. The sound of a small jet engine care from overhead, the air-bus came steadily into the town, mere moments away from arriving at the dock, at which time Ruby's luggage would be loaded onto it. _Uh-oh_ and uh-oh was indeed the right thought.

Jaune quickly broke out into a sprint aiming to reach the station, and by extension Ruby's clothes. The station was a tower of the furthest edge of town, away from the hotel and just a short walk from a bookshop at the end of the street. It was quite a climb but nothing that decent cardio couldn't overcome, Jaune still had a harsh exercise routine despite being far stronger than he used to be. If he were a masochist he could increase it but the thought of lifting the weight of five Nora's was an unappealing one. It has been a long time since Beacon and Nora had gained some definition she didn't have before; at this point it seemed a competition between herself and Yang over who could get the better looking abs. It was ongoing. As Jaune came closer to the final step he saw boxes being loaded onto the bus, with them was probably Ruby's luggage. "Hey! Excuse me!" Jaune shouted from across the way, gaining the attention of the man moving the boxes.

"What's going on?" Asked the perplexed man, this being the most unusual thing he'd seen in a long time.

"Have you seen and luggage bag? Probably has a symbol on it, red and black?" Jaune panted out amongst short breaths in an effort to steady himself.

"Nope, all boxes are sealed before being put on the bus. They get sealed at night and I'm the day-shift guy." That last part was an attempt to block Jaune's question before he asked it; something he had been on the receiving end of for a long time, thanks to his sisters.

"Urgh" the groan of frustration came out involuntarily on Jaunes part, "any idea if I can check before the bus leaves?" Asking a dumb question every now and then had become Jaune's specialty in a lot of different ways. Mainly in the he would ask questions he knew the answer to, or that the answer would be something so obvious but felt the need to ask as confirmation.

"No" the reply came from behind, a fairly muscular man standing with a sack truck at his side, ready to wheel it into the cargo area. _Holy crap he's huge_ Jaune expressed to himself, intimidated by the stature of the giant standing before him. _Expected though, can't shift through the boxes while the bus is about to set off_ Jaune noted.

Darting around Jaune noticed that the door to the storage wasn't locked. Being the master of strategy that he was, Jaune gained the brilliant idea to throw himself head first into that area while nobody was looking. Unfortunately the security cameras are always looking. Always. Glass eyes captured every moment of Jaune's daring attempt at rescuing Ruby's helpless bag from the cold dungeon under the seats of the air-bus. By which Jaune snuck into the opened storage area that the boxes were being placed into carefully, hiding behind some of the stacks of cardboard Jaune only had to wait for the bus to depart before he could get Ruby's items and return to the hotel. There was no way the plan could possibly fail.

Meanwhile at the hotel, Blake was the first to awaken of the three. The splitting headache she had well and truly earned was offset but the smell of fish coming from somewhere else in the gigantic house. Then made a thousand times worse whenever the light of the sun cut its way through the curtains directly onto she black cat's face. Her eyes being slightly more sensitive to the light than normal only made her head hurt more. Thankfully Blake found herself in a black room, much easier to look at that the bright lights that made up the rest of the manor she found herself a guest at. Or if Ruby were to be believed, the hotel she found herself a guest at would be the more accurate thing to say. _Is this really a hotel? It feels so much more than that_ Blake pondered for a while, wondering is a place like this really was just another rent-a-room for travellers. Something nagged that it had to be more than that. This thought was interrupted and lost to time as the smell of fish again caught her nose.

Alluring isn't quite the word Blake would have used, splendid ingredients all cooked to perfection with just the tinniest hint of garlic, it was likely the best thing Blake had ever smelled. _Kitchen. Food. Eat._ Predatory instinct ran through Blake like Adam's sword through her abs. Opening the door Blake leaped from shadow to shadow, leaving behind a small clone as she jettisoned herself from cover to cover, dodging ever ray of sunlight, or so she thought. Just for a moment or two Blake allowed herself to feel as though she was faster than the light could touch. She reached the lounge to find the gigantic double doors fixed and Yang's jacket folded neatly on one of the seats. Blake didn't stop to ponder, such things were unnecessary for a predator and its prey.

Coming to the kitchen wasn't that hard and Blake found what she assumed was her meal easily enough, given the lettering on the card with an 'I hope you like it' next to her name. _Maybe he knows more about me than I thought he did_ Blake mused to herself, savouring each and every bite of the food that the only other person in the house could have made. Jaune was a good cook, not on the same level as a professional but he definitely knew a thing or two about food. It probably helped that Ren was on his team.

Blake managed to make a racket on her way down to the kitchen that Ruby followed closely behind her, still a little tired and wearing Jaune's hoodie she took the cat by surprise. "Gotcha!" Ruby cried, as Blake froze still in her captor's arms. Ruby noticed Jaune's handwriting on a note that contained the meal that he prepared for her, she ate without saying grace at a speed that Blake knew she couldn't match. Ever.

The morning quickly came to be shared between them, not unlike the night before but quite unlike before going to bed. It was nice to talk without Yang making puns for leading the conversation like she could. Blake still wasn't talkative but she shared some things with Ruby, as Ruby did with her. The understanding between the two was unspoken, but a silent admiration on Blake's part. Not romantic in nature, Blake wasn't at all like that, but Ruby had shown herself to be one of the most capable individuals to ever walk Remnant which was something Blake did notice. Conversation soon died down, Ruby always had the hardest time talking to Blake after books were done as the conversation topic and they weren't making plans.

"Hey… Blake?" Ruby asked, between not quite wanting the conversation to die and wondering where their gracious host had disappeared to Ruby had a question she needed to ask Blake. "How do you apologise to somebody when you mess up so completely you aren't sure if they'll want you in their life anymore when they find out exactly what you did?" Ruby blurted out before even waiting for Blake's reply. Though the faunus had a suitable reaction to Ruby's question, perking up her ears and blushing furiously.

"I didn't do all that on purpose! I thought I was doing the best thing at the time. I wasn't thinking" Blake protested to her leader.

"But you got everybody to accept your apology, how did you do that?"

"I said sorry" Blake responded flatly.

"There has to be more to it than that. What did you really do?" Ruby retorted, unbelieving that the end of Yang and Blake's spat was done with an apology alone. She wasn't a child anymore, she knew that these things both took time and something more than sorry. _There's a saying, what is it?_

"Not really important Ruby" Blake began to talk about why whatever thing she needed to apologise about no longer mattered and that saying sorry was the first step to getting past it. In fact Blake had managed to get quite an impressive lecture going about why it's important to say sorry first, even if it's the hardest thing to do at times. She was seemingly quite proud of it from the tone of voice she used, although Ruby couldn't quite hear her: _What was that thing Yang used to say… Something about the best way to make up was with something_ she appeared to be taking Blake's lecture seriously. "Furthermore it's important to know when the right time to say sor-"

"Did you kiss and make up?" Ruby asked, innocently as always. If anybody else had asked it may have come across as mocking but Ruby never heard any of the rumours that plagued Beacon about Blake and Yang. Not that, even if Ruby had heard those things, she would have cared about it. Difficult as it would seem, the woman that sat in front of Blake now was a legend who had never really had a relationship. Not one that anybody knew about anyway, though Yang had always had suspicions about boys going anywhere near her. At one point Yang thought Jaune had a thing for Ruby, apparently she once stalked their "leader buddy" meetings because they thought they were dates. Though it turned out they really were just meetings, sun joined in sometimes, once they even managed to get Coco involved. Came home with different outfits that day with an impressive price-tag.

"No, Ruby. We didn't kiss and make up." Blake admitted, "Those things take time and when sorry doesn't cut it, time often helps." The tone she took implied that she was a little sour over how that ended. Difficult as it is to admit time didn't heal all wounds. "I think that's enough of that conversation, this place is pretty big… Wanna look around?"

Ruby's eyes lit up at the idea of exploration, who knows what could be found here. Besides Jaune may be around somewhere, even if Yang wasn't present they still needed answers about the nature of the place they were saying. Exploration may help them with that little goal _maybe there are some weapon manuals lying around!_ The duo talked a little as they explored. To their surprise they found: a huge dining room, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a room filled with classical weapons, a room filled with classical books, a room filled with instruments and a room filled with exercise equipment. A glance between the two gave permission to visit the room with all the books again, seeing if the shelves had any interesting reads among the dusty books.

Ruby found her section immediately, encyclopaedias of Grimm, old and new, really new. Some of these books were manuals in Jaune's handwriting, she recognised them as the journals he kept while traveling. Other than that there were lots of stories about gigantic battles against Grimm and, most importantly of all to Ruby herself, texts upon texts of legendary weapons and the techniques used to forge them. Everything from something called the 'Balmung' to another called 'The Answer', descriptions of the weapons and their origins were written about in fantastic detail. Ruby's head was alight with thoughts of romantic legends and epic battles, what must it have been like to be there? _How cool would it be to own weapons like these!_ Ruby thought to herself, gently stroking Crescent Rose. Even if she wasn't dressed in her clothes she would still have her holster.

Blake on the other hand was in awe some the shelving arrangement of the books on offer. A gripping silence overcame her as a sense of joy ripped its way through her chest like nothing she'd ever felt before. She had found the holy grail of smut collections. Books so old they were spoken about in hushed whispers, from 'Fanny Hill' to 'Gobbets Gob' and so many more. Muddy romances between masters and servants, tragic tales of lovers that could only spend one night together, epics of true love and passionate but heated nights conquering all! Shangri-La, Eden was a place that now existed before Blake and she understood it all! Time stood still as Blake mentally catalogued each and every book in order of which one she would read first, which one she would read again: _This one has that brother-sister thing; this one has the princess being made a slave. Oh-oh, this one has the lord that can't understand love, so he abuses his servant girl till she confesses to him and he hangs himself in the shame of it!_ Blake was buzzing at each title of each book _I really like that one!_ It was as if everything else had stopped existing. That was until Ruby attached herself to Blake's shoulder "whatcha doing?"

Blake gave a smile before speaking _if Ruby's going to learn anything about this stuff, we should start with something fluffy_. "Oh, well, I'm looking at these books. Each one is older than both of us combined." Blake said taking a book of the shelf and handing it to Ruby. "They're a certain kind of book that deal with a certain kind of romance… A more physical one than you think" she added, the pause to think of a more delicate way to explain. She understood that Ruby understood what she meant by physical when Ruby began to smile sheepishly.

"R-really Blake?" Ruby asked, taking the book from her friend's hand. "I'll put this in my room. I, uh, don't want it getting lost." Ruby didn't want to admit her interest in the book, rather just hide it under the bed she was currently using. Maybe pray a little that Yang wouldn't find it.

"I'm sure you don't" Blake replied with her usual brand of not-quite sarcasm. A giggle punctuating the end of the brief conversation. The room filled with books had more than what the two had explored but the areas they found suited their taste exceedingly well. There was even a section filled with magazines for a gearhead like Yang, whose bike was still 'parked' in the lounge. _I wonder if she's going to be alright, it's getting close to noon now and we haven't heard anything of her_.

There was a reason for this, Yang was just managing to drag herself out of the most wonderful dream she had in a while. She was with Blake and Ruby. Talking about their adventures, the only thing that could have made it better was if Weiss could have been present in it. For some reason Jaune was there, he'd been knocked out by a gorilla Grimm that the team then beat down, before it climbed a huge tower and grew a few hundred feet anyway. _No more drinks before bed_ Yang silently declared.

The time was of little consequence to Yang, right now anyway. Before all else Yang's hair was her priority in the what-ever time. She didn't bother getting dressed before getting her hair neatly done, brushed, combed, washed, dried and brushed again, this was her usual morning… Or her usual what-ever time. However it was the first in a long, long time that Yang had ever been able to do it so completely. Shampoo, condition, comb, perm, curl; Yang had managed to give herself the full treatment and she felt beautiful because of it. If any male were here too and saw her as she was now, they would have agreed wholeheartedly, if they weren't busy slavering all over themselves. Yang's choice in clothes was a simple one, a tube-top and very small shorts were the most comfortable thing to walk around in when you didn't have to be fully dressed but still had to wear clothes. Leaving nothing to the imagination but to Yang that was probably a good thing.

Walking out into the hallway Yang too notice of the paintings on the walls, each with a symbol that shared something similar to Jaune's own. Alterations here and there, but it mostly took the form of his own double crescent. Yang stopped at the end, she saw the painting of a man that looked a lot like Jaune. Slightly longer hair, tied up in a bun with the same deep blue eyes very similar in focus to Jaune's own. His chiselled looks gave him a presence even though he was just a painting, looking down he wore armour, a piece to cover his chest with gauntlets and greaves. Sleeveless black top just under the harness that seemed to hold the armour onto his clearly muscular frame. The painting depicted him with a sword and shield, the same as Jaune's own. The exact same as Jaune's own, so much so that Yang had first mistaken this as a picture of Jaune before reading the plaque at the bottom of the painting. _If this is Jaune he's a lot older than he said he was_ Yang thought _but if Jaune looks like this when he's older even I might get jealous_. Yang mused on the apparent strength of the genetics of the Arc line. Very few of the paintings had any other colour than blonde and blue, traits that were becoming rare in their combination.

Yang walked quickly as her bare feet touched the cold ground entering the lounge she had spent time with her sister and partner last night in, finding it amusing that her bike was still stuck on the stairs. Her jacket folded neatly on the chair and her victim disappeared. _I guess that means he's alright_ Yang surmised, further thoughts being cut off by her stomach growling at her, demanding tribute. Jaune had appeared through doors last night that apparently went into the kitchen, or at least lead to it by a hallway or something. Starting there would probably be for the best. She was right as the door lead to the kitchen via a small connecting hallway, cosy enough given the size of the place. Yang was pretty good in a kitchen, having learned how to cook at no older than five to help around the house and bake Ruby cookies whenever the mood took her.

Yang managed to find food, the fact that her name was written on a plate was a fantastic indicator of food for her. Her food was nice, spicy and seemed to have some level of care placed into it. If it was Jaune then she'd have to both thank and apologise to him. Funny feeling that.

The sound of a heavy motor came from outside, not the gentle humming that most engines made. _That engine needs some work_ Yang thought, _hang on… Who could that be?_ Yang went to the lobby after shovelling down the food she had hoped to savour, maybe that was karma for beating Jaune as she did.

Weiss had a hell of a time getting to her destination. The ride to Vale was easy enough and her arrival in the town was just as much, but spilling wine of her clothes and being unable to shower on the jet made it a difficult thing for her to adjust. Still looking ragged and worn, far more tired than she was before she set out. The stress of traveling was something that Weiss knew she wasn't built for in the least. At lease Weiss was now at the resort, the unnamed manor was an intimidating size, nearly twice the size of her own mansion back in Atlas. It was something to see _at least it looks like a resort._

Her car came to a stop, neatly alongside the end of the grass before the fountain. Her luggage packed neatly into the back of her rather spacious vehicle. The white bags and clothes within weighing a fair bit on her body. Heels dug into the gravelly road that lay beneath the woman's feet, her delicate frame hauling the weight of her luggage with her in an almost comical fashion as the made her way towards the door. Knock. Knock. Knock. Crash! The doors fell over was Weiss came tumbling down onto her face with the awesome weight she carried, spilling some of her clothes onto the floor and her bags in a mostly tidy pile. Yang was sitting in one of the chairs in the lounge, staring at the woman in white with barely restrained glee. "Good morning"

"It's after twelve." Weiss stated "but that's perfect for you, Sun-Beam." Weiss was unfortunately muffled beneath her pile, otherwise Yang would have heard her instead of "mrph, urph, erm, urff" as she did. Yang wasted no time in picking the luggage off her friend "why are you here anyway, I thought you had a thing in Vacuo?"

"That got put on hold. What are you doing here?" Yang asked with a genuinely curious tone.

"I booked a place at this travesty of a resort…" Weiss looked around briefly "that doesn't look like its open yet." Weiss stopped to look at the area around her, seeing the crack in the ceiling and the motorbike lying in the middle of the floor just at the bottom of the staircase. Yang's emblem branded onto the side of it, like the emblem patterned into her own clothes… Weiss took a moment to study Yang up and down, her outfit was tasteless, tactless and extremely revealing. As if attempting to seduce somebody with the bare minimalist effort. "You've made yourself a home haven't you?"

Yang looked down, these were her usual clothes but they surely weren't anything new, it took a moment for her to trail Weiss' finger, seeing it went over towards her bike. "Oh? That? Well, Blake and I had a destructive entrance. We'll talk about it later."

"Blake's here too?"

"She arrived with me, still can't tell if this place is a hotel or not or whatever" Yang replied. "We don't know, the only person that could tell us… We knocked him out. Cold" Yang admitted. She herself said it was a group effort, the 'we' implied it was anyway. Yang's voice betrayed that notion, emitting a sense that it was a more personal action. Of course this wasn't a conversation that could be kept up for long. Not because it wasn't an interesting topic, but instead because the contestation shifted wildly when a small hurricane arrived shouting something incoherently, and a slightly slower hurricane just after.

"OhmygodisthatWeiss!?" Were among the jumble of words that could be made out as Ruby tackled the princess into a fantastic flying hug. A gale force followed as Yang and Blake were swept into the now-group huddle by an amazing force. "It's a team RWBY reunion!" Ruby cried in a strange state of triumph, having her B.F.F back was something joyous to her, having Yang and Blake here too made it all the more sweeter as the girls shared in an amazing hug that was years in the making.

"I'd like my arms back" Weiss said, tightening her hug on her team, Weiss often said things while her actions betrayed her completely. Something like that wasn't out of the ordinary, even her time in Atlas hadn't changed this about her. Even if she had been serious there was nothing to stop them from moving in the dogpile they had made in the collapsed floor, atop the again broken doors and the newer pile of Weiss' bag and clothes created by Hurricane Ruby. Though something was odd. Ruby felt different, her usual clothes were kind of frilly compared to what she was wearing now. As the group sat up a little Weiss finally got a good look at what felt so off.

"Is that Jaune's hoodie?"

"It's a long story" Ruby sighed while Blake and Yang began to snicker a little behind her. Though she had rehearsed it a little with Blake and Yang it was obvious that she was still just a little nervous given that it was Weiss she was talking to, if anybody was going to let Ruby knew her exact mistakes it would be Weiss. The conversation started in the same way it did the night before, with Ruby attempting an explanation, again leaving out the detail of Pyrrha's sword. Even going as far as to add in the bits that Yang had told her about their own arrival.

"Sooo… Jaune got you wet" Blake blushed at the statement while Yang let out a laugh and gave Weiss a silent thumbs up, her eyes watering. Weiss realised her mistake and accidental pun but refused to acknowledge it. "You changed into his hoodie, shortly after that and a small drink between you and Jaune, Yang and Blake burst down the doors, then you hugged, told them what you just told me now and then Yang punched Jaune into unconsciousness. Twice." Weiss placed a hand on the head in exasperation "you're not even sure if this place is a hotel because Jaune went down after you assumed him dead and thought a zombie was attacking or something?"

"He did scream really loud Weiss, you should've seen it. It was like an angry fleshy spirit came back from the grave!" Yang said in her own defence, the joke seemed to be an attempt to hide her embarrassment at it, "but yes that's right, I guess."

"Also, that person Yang punched after reading the bulletin board might be the town's mayor" Blake added. Yang acted horrified at the implication, an attack like that would probably make anybody hold a grudge. When a grudge got involved with hunting it normally meant you'd get cheated out of your money after a job well done. The conversation continued on like this as the girls placed Weiss' clothes into her bags and began to carry them upstairs. Since they had rooms near each other they hoped there was one to her linking. Weiss settled on a white room besides Blake and across from Yang, the way it had been decorated it seemingly had her in mind when being designed. Weiss noticed that this was a common theme in each of the rooms, the others hadn't had much of a chance to notice before but she was right.

Ruby had a room devoted to the colour red, she exact shade of preference and co-ordinated appropriately to emphasise the bits a pieces of black in the room. The floor was a neutral colour but everything from the walls to the bed had been placed there deliberately. Yang's room as a sunlight yellow and did a magnificent job of emulating the feel of summer, the room seemed to be in a contest with the outside world given how vibrant it was compared to the world beyond her window. Blake's room was a dark mix of black and purple, more purple than black but definitely appreciated. "No way that's a coincidence" Yang stated, expressing the thoughts of the group before any of them had a chance to vocalise them. "I'm adding this to the list of things we have to ask Jaune."

"Where is Jaune anyway?" Weiss asked.

"We forgot about him!" Blake shouted, rushing down to the lounge, the other girls followed just as quickly attempting to catch the faunus before she hurt herself on the landing. Not that it really mattered anyway, cats always land on their feet no matter how many times you throw them. Humans at it turns out mostly land on their face because Yang, Ruby and Weiss all fell off the balcony coming tumbling down just moments later and only Weiss landed safely.

"My heroes."

"Knock it off" Yang huffed "also, get off!" Yang looked around, nothing was out of the ordinary, aside from the door still being down and her bike still in the way but everything looks mostly the way it did earlier. "Did he leave a note?"

"Nothing" _which is what worries me._ Blake trailed off, hoping that Jaune was still somewhere within the hotel.

Jaune was miles away, or almost miles away. It took him thirty minutes to rescue Ruby's items but by then the air-bus was already mid-flight. No the real trial was trying to lose his breakfast over his prize. The trial with his life-long enemy, motion sickness. The airbus made the journey that much more difficult by making harsh turns which rocked items from the boxes he had opened while looking for Ruby's things, miscellaneous things were now assaulting him from the sky as he slowly crawled towards the metal sheet that prevented him from being free. Which prevented him from escaping with his hard-won trophy. His pace quickened as he began to get further and further towards the exit.

Or at least this is what Jaune thought he would be doing, he'd been found out just moments later and laughed at. He was not the first to attempt something like that, instead Jaune had spent the better half of his morning in the ride to Vale, charging the lost and found as soon as he saw Ruby's luggage. He collected her items and tried his hardest to come back without incident. Unfortunately the world had a strange sense of humour when it came to Jaune, he'd managed the journey to Vale without any incident other than feeling queasy. The return trip wasn't so pleasant. He was nearing the town again when he felt the worst sensation of all time creep up on him. There wasn't any time for directions, Jaune had to find somewhere he could privately allow himself to do his thing without disgusting anybody else. Leaving Ruby's luggage on his seat Jaune made a quick exit to the lower deck, where the tiny toilets were located. It was no good, he immediately took a left and allowed his guts to unleash hell into what he hoped was a porcelain bowl. Instead it was the cargo hold, this is where the lost and found stored things that nobody came to collect on its rounds to other places, and Jaune had made a mess of it all. He wasn't done. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

The disgusting details of what he'd done haunted him as he left the deck and hurriedly went in the direction of the hotel. Jaune's day wasn't over yet but it at least he managed to secure Ruby's things. Thankfully he had remembered to take the items with him through fear of having to do ride such a monstrous machine ever again. Time had escaped Jaune and noon quickly steamed past him, hoping to high-heaven he hadn't missed the first paying guest his hotel would ever receive. If this was a disaster then at least he could be there when things inevitably went wrong for him.

It was only for a moment but two pairs of eyes caught his back. One pair green and the other a pale shade of pink. "Let's play follow the leader!"

"Please don't tackle him."

 **Note: Tusk Act gave me a shout out. Thanks man, you're top.**

 **May need to work on interactions and getting the characters down but hey, I don't have to be perfect.**

 **Little something else for you all that I couldn't stop myself from making. A very short bonous.**

The clock struck twelve as the Vale Criminal Investigations Department rolled into the crime scene. The bright moon hung low in the misty skies of the street corners. A seedy place that only the worst kinds of humans and faunus will ever go. The depths of society are endless, but hey? It beasts starving by a bullet to the head. Tonight the streets themselves seemed almost devoid of colour, hungry and haunting as folks went about their night paying no mind to one another. Just the way the Valeian streets often asked people to.

Outside an air-bus, as the soul-less metal rattled away to reveal its haunting contents. "I've seen a lot of horrible things I my time. But I've never seen something as bizarrely hateful as this." One of the officers said, presenting a gravelly, stone-cold attitude.

"I've seen crime scenes filled with blood and others littered with bodies… But this? I can't fathom the sick bastard that would do something like this" another of his colleagues stated. "An' I don't wanna meet them."

"To puke all over the luggage of passengers and… the lost and found… All those poor children, missing their toys… What monster could do this?"

"That's our job. We gotta find them and bring them down."

"You don't get it, do you? This here is a master's work. Some kind of radical protest against the air-bus industry. Whoever did this is a consummate professional, maybe even levels above Roman was." The gravelly detective said, his long coat flowing in the breeze of the musky and poorly ventilated station. "We gotta do this quick, do you want another White Fang?"

"Detective Chalk!" the sound of cameras priming filled the air behind them "What do you have to say about the criminal!"

 _I got a loooong night ahead of me_.


End file.
